Car canopies by Kopron, among the largest “shading” car parks in Europe.

Designed for the architectural company of Milan, Barreca & La Varra.

The creation of a large car park aesthetically integrated with the location in a well defined budget, this was the challenge that Kopron succeeded in achieving. This car park covers 3,000 square metres with 180 parking spaces for the visitors and employees of Ugolini S.p.A. It can be defined as one of the largest “shading” car parks in Europe. The new headquarters of Ugolini S.p.A. have been designed by the architectural company of Milan, Barreca & La Varra. An important company of international importance, characterised by constant attention to new construction technologies and their use in the experimentation of a complex architectural and urban language. A language very attentive to the changing articulations of contemporary society and the complexity of the economic, social and institutional processes that the city, the territory and the environment currently produce. Thanks to the contemporary, refined but essential design, the car canopies by Kopron adapt perfectly to this new architectural establishment.

The car canopies by Kopron in the historical company from Milan, Ugolini S.p.A

The historical company from Milan, Ugolini S.p.A., that produces refrigerating machines for drinks and ice cream, celebrated 75 years of activity with new executive and production headquarters. In the new Ugolini plant, vegetation mitigates the presence of architecture that reinterprets the historical shapes of Lombardy with contemporary materials and shapes. In this context the car canopies by Kopron have also been used. Designed to satisfy the functional and aesthetic requests of companies and private individuals. They are the perfect solution for parking or rest areas. K-Shelt, the car canopies by Kopron, guarantee an excellent level of water resistance and shade, protecting cars and company vehicles from weather conditions such as hailstones, wind and the sun.

Fausto Cionini, the Local Sales Manager, highlights the advantages of this product:

"The K-Shelt car canopy is easy to assemble and relocate and therefore satisfies all requirements related to economisation. It protects company cars from weather conditions. The structure is modern, not only thanks to its clean cut lines but also thanks to the choice of materials, such as the galvanised steel structure. The canopy, providing protection against hailstones and the sun, is made from a material that can be easily recycled and non-toxic, water-repellent and washable. Strips of led’s applied to the supporting structure illuminate the parking spaces with design and provide the car park with continuity compared with the open area. Every module installed is also designed to guarantee utmost economy in transportation.”

Barreca & La Varra per il nuovo stabilimento Ugolini

The architectural project has been carried out entirely by Barreca & La Varra. The company published an article on its website in which it describes the project in detail. The input, requested by the customer right from the start of development activities, was to concentrate access of all company employees through one entrance even though they work in different areas of the headquarters (sales and admin employees as well as production workers), immediately resulted in the need to develop a project that included strong fluidity, in terms of management of internal layouts and volumetric as well as architectural; therefore the open area morphological solution was identified. Three separate building elements were created, within one trapezoidal unit. The building with offices (3,000 sq.m.) reinterpret the anatomy of the farmhouse of Lombardy with an open yard and enveloped by four large trees that animate the collective area. The production area (5,500 sq.m.) is located close to the offices: the volumetric continuum aims at equalising the role of factory and office workers. The warehouse building (5,700 sq.m.) is however isolated. The main front entrance facing the car park of 3,000 sq.m. with 180 parking spaces for visitors and employees, is accessible along the entire perimeter by vehicles. In the open area, apart from a sycamore, a mulberry tree, an oak tree and an ash tree, there are four large lights with circular led’s, 3 metres high and with a diameter ranging from 7 to 9 metres, designed specifically, appearing as “foreign” objects in the rigorous and geometric general design. Continuous material and stylistic dialogues bring together a range of unit spaces.