OLIVETTI the Founders great minds product design architecture architecture for social services advertising and - clubperunescoivrea
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OLIVETTI
the Founders
great minds
product design
architecture
architecture for social
services
advertising and
corporate image
TO BEGIN with
Italian industrialization started
at the beginning of 20th
century. The impulse to a
more modern and precise
mechanical industry was
given by Olivetti’s: it
produced typewriters…
Camillo Adriano Roberto Great Minds
Camillo Olivetti
(Ivrea, 1868–Ivrea,194
He graduated in Turin in engineering in 189; then he studied
English in London and electro -technology in California.
Back home, he set up a company for the production of electrical
measuring instruments.
The company was founded in 1896: “CGS” (From the initials of
units Centimetre, Gram, Second).
In 1908 he founded the factory of typewriters in Ivrea which
bore his name.
The first model of typewriter, Olivetti M1, was entirely
designed by him.
The company had a rapid development: in the 20s it strengthen
the production by setting up a smelter and in 1926 the Olivetti
machine shops
He gave great impetus to research and development.
In the early 30s he reinforced the distribution abroad, and, in
1924, he was joined by his son Adriano.
Adriano Olivetti (Ivrea, 1901- Milan, 1960) Camillo Olivetti’s son, he was an entrepreneur, engineer and a politician, a man of great and special importance after World War 2. In 1924 he got a degree in chemical engineering and, after a period spent in the USA, he came to Ivrea (1926) and started working with his father He became director of the Olivetti’s in 1933 and president in 1938. He opposed the fascist regime. During the years of the war, he took refuge in Switzerland. Back in Ivrea, he ran the company. In 1945 he published The political order of the Communities: it was a theoretical basis for an idea of the federal state which, in his view, was based precisely on the community. In 1948, in Turin, he founded the movement Community. He was mayor in Ivrea in 1956 and in 1958 he was elected as a representative of “community”. On February 27, 1960 he died suddenly during a train journey from Milan to Lausanne. At the time of his death, the company founded by his father was on all major international markets, with approximately 36,000 employees, more than half abroad.
Roberto (1927-1985) Roberto was Adriano’s first son. He first studied at Bocconi University and then at Harvard. With the technical collaboration of Eng. Mario Tchou, he started the first Italian laboratory of electronic researches in Pisa. Here, in 1955, Roberto Olivetti led the research group which plans and creates the electronic calculators of Elea Class. Elea 9003 of 1959 was the first computer developed in Italy.
Renzo Zorzi (1921-2010) is an example of the intellectual manager that Olivetti promoted. He got a degree in Italian Literature from the University of Padova, and his life was totally devoted to publishing. In 1947 he met Adriano Olivetti at a party in Turin, and then got a managerial role in Olivetti (1965), as a published of the magazine Comunità and as a responsible of the industrial design and of the cultural initiatives He was able to spread new ideas both in the field of art and in the fields of design and architecture.
Natale Cappellaro (1902 - 1977 ), from Ivrea, was of humble origins. After attending the elementary school and some technical evening courses, he joined Olivetti as a regular worker in 1916 at the age of 14. Soon Camillo Olivetti understood his ability and his qualities of hard worker and gives him the task to make experiments and reduce assembling time for M20, organizing the work scientifically. Then, from the late 1930s, he took part in projects concerning the first calculators: MC4 Summa, MC3 Simplisumma, followed by Elettrosumma 14 (1945), Multisumma 14 and Divisumma (1948). These products marked the great success and worldwide expansion of Olivetti in the 50s. From 1960 he was appointed general director of projects, and got the Laurea Honoris Causa for his inventive genius. He still represents the myth of the man who could build his career with his own hand inside a great company.
Pier Giorgio Perotto (1930- 2002) after graduating at Turin Politecnico, he joined Olivetti (1957) where worked on the project for the first Italian computer (Calcolatore Elettronico Elea 9003) under the direction of Mario Tchou. In 1962 P.G.Perotto worked on the project of the first personal computer in the world : Programma 101 or “la Perottina” which Was successfully presented in 1965 at the BEMA in New York. The design was by Mario Bellini. In 1991 He was awarded the International Prize Leonardo da Vinci from the Museo delle Scienza e della Tecnica in Milan
Ettore Sottsass (1917 –2007) got a degree in
architecture at Politecnico in Turin in 1939.
In 1959 Sottsass began working as a design consultant
for Olivetti, designing office equipment,
typewriters and furniture, despite his lack of technical
knowledge.
Together with Mario Tchou, and Roberto Olivetti won
The prestigious 1959 Compasso d’Oro with the
Elea 9003, the first Italian calculator.
Throughout the 1960s, he designed more products for
Olivetti culminating in the bright red plastic portable
Valentine typewriter in 1969, "a brio among
typewriters.“
Among the other products he designed for Olivetti are
The typwriters Lettera 36, Tekne 3 and Praxis 48, the
calculator Elea 9003 and the Personal computer M 24 .
In the 1960's, Sottsass also developed a range of
objects
which were expressions of his personal experiences,
And in the early 1980s he founded the
Memphis Collective, an international
group of young architects and designersGiovanni Pintori (1912 - )
met Adriano Olivetti in 1936 and soon he became
responsible for the Advertising Campaigns. His name is
strictly linked to the main posters, calendars and
advertising pages. His collaboration with Olivetti lasted Egidio Bonfante (1922 – 2004)
about 30 years . met Olivetti in1948 and his career started with the
design for the new series of the magazine Comunità
directed by Adriano Olivetti. His most famous
posters advertised Divisumma 18, Valentine and
Lexicon.Olivetti architecture is based mainly on the
rational style.
The main buildings are in:
Europe
North ivrea
America
South
AmericaLouis Isidore Kahn (1901 –1974) is the architect who designed the factory of Harrisburg, in Pennsylvania (USA) in 1966. This is an axample of the many important Olivetti building in North America.
In San Paolo (Brasil) in 1957 Marco Zanuso
(1916 –2001) made the “dome factory” and the
factory of Merlo in Argentina.
The building has a particular structure with lots
of domes.The formation
centre of
Haslemere
(UK) was in
part made in
1973 by Olivetti
company as a
managers’
meeting point.
James Sterling
(1926-1992) re-
structured an
old English
mansion.
In 1967 starts the construction of
some office palaces by Egon
Eiermann (1904 –1970) in
Francoforte, Germany.In Italy there are a lot of Olivetti structures. Among the most important are
Pozzuoli factory, by Luigi Cosenza (1905 –1984) and Rho factory designed by
Le Corbusier (1887 –1965), but never realized.
IVREA
Pozzuoli factory, 1955, Luigi Cosenza.Ivrea is the city where Olivetti
company was born, therefore there
are many buildings.
Camillo Olivetti monument, Ivrea.The Red Brick Building
This is the first building of the factory on the
project of Camillo Olivetti himself.
On the roof of this red brick factory was a
label Olivetti, the first national typewriter
factory.
At that time the town centre was quite far,
beyond the river.
In Turin, Fiat Company was born 10 years
before and had 50 workers.
C. Olivetti started his company with four
boys.Factories The first “red bricks” building was enlarged by the architects Luigi Figini (1903 - 1984) and Gino Pollini (1903 – 1991) in the 1930's and then in the 1950s (Officine OMO). These two architects worked together for more than 50 years. They developed the structure of the Factory of Olivetti, the Nursery, the Popular Houses (1939/40) and the Employee Buildings (1940/42) in Ivrea.
Palazzo Uffici
(1960 – 1964)
progected by Gian Antonio Bernasconi (1911 - ), A. Fiocchi (1915 - 2011),
M. Nizzoli (1887 – 1969)
It is an example of the great architecture thought to host the offices of the main staff in a moment of
large expansion of the CompanyOfficine H Eduardo Vittoria (1923 – 2009) started a collaboration with Adriano Olivetti which lasted till the early 1970s. His famous projects are the Study Centre and the Offices in San Bernardo of Ivrea. He worked together with architect Marco Zanuso (1916 –2001) for the buildings of Scarmagno, marcianise and Crema. Study & Experience Centre in Ivrea.
Architecture for Residential Buildings
Borgo Olivetti and
Quartiere Castellamonte
Under: Case Fusaro PozzuoliTALPONIA (Ivrea)
A residential complex of buried flats with a porthole
made by Roberto Gabetti (1925 –2000) and Aimaro
Oreglia d’Isola (1928 - )in 1968.
The visible part of the
flats.LASERRA
La serra by Iginio Cappai (1932 – 1999)
and Pietro Mainardis (1935 - )
This building had mainly a residential
role with a lot of rooms.
1967-'75.Architecture
for social services
Project 100 was a plan based on extra
scholastic pedagogy.
There are many memories and
witnesses of people who spent young
beatiful moments in Olivetti summer
schools.
The idea of this project is now present
in a blog where there are debates about
pedagogy.SERVICES FOR CHILDREN
Olivetti had a lot of services for children
included nursery schools, colonies, after
school and sports activities; Camillo e
Adriano Olivetti worked on their
development for almost 30 years.
Medical cures were supplied in children
ambulatories by nurses and teachers
interested in child’s development from his
first months.
These building were created by Luigi
Figini and Gino PolliniHoliday Camps Colonies and campings were created to permit the children from 6 to 12 years old to spend a month at the seaside or in the mountains. Since 1950s there were also pre-campings for children from 12 to 14years old . There were also pre-colonies for children between 6 months and 3 ages.
VILLA GIRELLI Today the only summer centre still existing is Villa Girelli. It is situated on the hill of Montenavale in Ivrea (TO). It has 5 pavillons, with a territory of 300mq and a park of 40.000mq. The centre includes a big lunch area a clay laboratory.
INTRODUCTION LEXICON 80 LETTERA 22,PRAXIS 48, VALENTINE ELEA 9003,PROGRAMMA 101 DIVISUMMA 18 DIVISUMMA 28 TYPEWRITER,LAPTOP, CALCULATOR,OFFICE FURNITURE
Olivetti Design
“Dobbiamo far bene le cose e farlo sapere”
(we must do good things and let people
know about them)
With these words Adriano Olivetti taught that industry not only must
search for the best in every activity but also spread its values.
When in Italy there were not yet schools for designers, in Olivetti
designers were already at work.
They did not just search for a “nice dress” for a new machine, but
worked together with mechanic engineers to match use and appearance.
Designers were asked to draw forms which could show immediately the
functions of the product: to make easier the use and to make the user at
ease.Machines design for mechanical office. Camillo Olivetti, considered very important the appearance of the product. In 1992 he wrote: “La macchina per scrivere non deve essere un gingillo da salotto, con ornamenti di gusto discutibile ma deve avere un aspetto elegante nello stesso tempo”. “The typewriter is not a sitting room gadget, but it must be smart and functional at the same time” In the 1930s Design and Communication reached a highly important position in the society management with Camillo Olivetti’s son, Adriano. The most important products of this period were the calculator MC4 Summa (1940), Divisumma 24, Tetractys (1956) and the typewriter Lexikon 80 (1948).
Olivetti introduced the figure of the designer in the 1930s when this job did not exist in the
other parts of Italy. It was born as an architect. Groups of writers, artists and graphics
collaborated to the work of designers;
Olivetti designers were included under the label: “Direzione Relazioni Culturali”
(Direction Cultural Relations)
From “La Sentinella del Canavese” by Michele De Lucchi
Creating a design does not mean carving objects, but
giving them an economic and comunicative aim. […]
This is the task Adriano Olivetti gave the design:
“concepire qualità e saperle esprimere”
(to conceive qualities and to know how to express them)
A lot of designers who became famous worked in Olivetti.
Among them Marcello Nizzoli (since 1938), Ettore Sottsass (since 1957), Mario Bellini (since 1960s).
Their works are shown in a lot of museums all over the world, such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York)
and the Musée des Arts décoratifs (Paris).Lexikon 80 (1948) was designed by Marcello Nizzoli (1887 –1969) on a project by Giuseppe Beccio. In particular Lexicon 80 represents a reference point in the international design for the revolutionary solutions highlighted by its technological innovations : the two pieces of the covering and the cover match perfectly with the soft lines, realized with the new process of die casting, so the body looks like a unique wrapper.
Mechanical portable typewriter Marcello Nizzoli (1950) Lettera 22 was the pinnacle of 1950s typewriters, a true luxury item. It was a portable typewriter of the most up-to-date design and fine workmanship.
Praxis 48
This typewriter (1963), designed
by Ettore Sottsass, signs a new
direction.
The geometric lines underline the
technological value of this work
Instrument.
.Mechanical Portable Typewriter Ettore Sottsass 1969 The Valentine is the red portable typewrite, the first example of a non-traditional, and informal office item.
The calculator age.
The Divisumma 24 is the first of a series of calculator machines
projected by Natale Cappellaro. It was designed by Marcello Nizzoli.
The age of the electronic products starts with the Elea
9003 (1959) drawn by E. Sottsass: it is innovative both
for its design and for the advantages it offered.
Olivetti Electronic launched Programma 101,
a little desk calculator drawn by
Mario Bellini1973: year of design innovation.
Divisumma 18 (1973) marked a radical development. M.
Bellini produced a technological product totally
humanized, almost playful, that invited human touch.
Divisumma 28 , made of the same rubber membrane, it
has an inclined body.
Both of them are very rare nowadaysPersonal computers Program 101 (1964) by P. Perotto M20 (1982) by Enrico Pesatori and M24 (1984) by Luigi Mercurio, both designed by E. Sottsass
This poster was made by Teodoro Wolf Ferrari (1876-1945) for
Camillo Olivetti in the 1912, as advertisement for the M1, the first
Italian Typewriter.
In this poster Dante Alighieri is the “testimonial” with the M1.
In the 1920s Marcello Dudovich (1878 –1962) made some posters with a
girl and an Olivetti typewriter.
(red and green versions).
In the posters there is not the name of the typewriter because there was
only the M20.Olivetti used immediate messages addressed to people’s
feelings.
The messages for the speed are like : “La Rapidissima”
or “Velocissima”.
(The Fastest)
Other messages for the keyboard were:
“Dolcissima tastiera”; “Agile come un volo di rondine”;
“Il tocco è leggerissimo”.
(The Sweetest Keyboard, Agile like the flight of a
Swallow, The Softest Touch)
Xanti Schawinsk
y
(1904 - 1979) per
la
MP1VALENTINE’S POSTERS by Ettore Sottsass 1969
By Egidio
Bonfante
1970
By Milton Glaser
Reprinted,1989DIVISUMMA’S POSTERS
Giovanni Pintori
Egidio Bonfante 1973
1947
Herbert Bayer, 1953LEXIKON’S POSTERS
Marcello Nizzoli
1949
Joe E
k aitisLETTERA 22’S POSTERS
Giovanni
Raymond
Pintori
Savignac 1962
1953
Egidio
Bonfante
1953LETTERA
32’S
POSTERS
Walter Ballmer, 1968ERS
T
P OS
’S
44
O
UDI
STCamillo Olivetti drew the first logo himself (ICO: Ingegner Camillo Olivetti) in the 1910s, then substituted by a new, hand written one.
Xanti Schawinsky
proposed this logo in the 1930s.
It was a small letter
and was used for many years.In 1949 Giovanni Pintori created this
new poster called “NUMERI”
(Numbers)
In the centre is the new logo.
It was used also in the 50’s!In 1952 Marcello Nizzoli created a new
graphic logo: “La GRECA”, which appeared
in every Olivetti’s shop and in business
documents.
“GRECA” (Greek Key) means “neverending”In 1970 W.Ballmer had the task to
design a logo once again.
Walter Ballmer introduced some rules
to be followed to design Olivetti's logo.
This writing is still used nowadays
(small modifications in 2005)THE
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