La « collection » Olivetti. Architecture et enjeux du moderne dans l’Ivrée contemporaine | The Olivetti ‘Collection’: Architecture and the Challenges of Modernism in Contemporary Ivrée

Abstract

This essay examines Ivrea as a paradigmatic laboratory of twentieth-century industrial modernity, where architecture, production, social reform and territorial planning converged within the Olivetti project. Rather than interpreting the city as a mere collection of authorial buildings, the study considers it as a complex urban system shaped by factories, welfare facilities, residential districts, infrastructures and landscapes. Particular attention is devoted to via Jervis, the housing policies promoted by the company, and experimental complexes such as Talponia and La Serra, which reveal the plurality of architectural languages developed over several decades. The essay also investigates the progressive patrimonialisation of Ivrea, from early surveys and urban protection measures to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018. This recognition, however, raises crucial questions concerning boundaries, authenticity, integrity, adaptive reuse and the conservation of modern materials and construction systems. The recent interventions funded through the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan further highlight the tension between regulatory compliance, energy performance and the preservation of architectural values. Drawing on published studies and archival sources, the article argues for an integrated conservation strategy capable of safeguarding not only individual buildings, but also the spatial, social and landscape relationships that define the enduring contemporary relevance of the Olivetti heritage.