A study has been published that links the past and present of the case of Olivetti

 

The factory that fosters a sense of community and a connection to the local area. A culture for all, which leaves its mark on the present and remains as a guide for the future. There are examples throughout economic and social history that illustrate all this; one such example is undoubtedly that of Olivetti and Ivrea. This is the theme of Matilde Martellini’s recently published paper ‘La « collection » Olivetti.  Architecture et enjeux du moderni dans l’Ivrée contemporaine’ (The Olivetti ‘collection’. Architecture and the challenges of modernism in contemporary Ivrea).

Martellini’s essay examines Ivrea as an exemplary laboratory of twentieth-century industrial modernity. A place, both geographical and human, where architecture, manufacturing, social reform and local planning came together in the Olivetti project. This research has a distinctive feature: rather than interpreting the city as merely a collection of buildings designed by architects, it regards it as a complex urban system shaped by factories, welfare facilities, residential neighbourhoods, infrastructure, and landscapes. It is therefore not a ‘catalogue’ of individual works to be analysed, but rather a unified whole comprising various developments of different kinds and forms, which must be understood as a single entity.

However, Matilde Martellini’s research focuses on two areas. The first concerns a specific part of the city, while the second concerns the gradual recognition of Ivrea as a World Heritage Site. This includes everything from the initial surveys and urban conservation measures to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.

However, her work does not stop there: the authenticity of the built environment, which becomes part of a region’s culture, is weighed against the needs associated with the reuse of spaces, the conservation of materials and modern construction methods. This gives rise to a proposal: the need to adopt an ‘integrated conservation strategy’ in places like this, capable of safeguarding not only individual buildings, but also the spatial, social, and landscape relationships that define the enduring contemporary significance of the heritage, while meeting specific requirements for its use.

La « collection » Olivetti. Architecture et enjeux du moderne dans l’Ivrée contemporaine

Matilde Martellini

RA 1|2026, pages 106 – 123