In the 1950s, Olivetti was faced with a strategic decision. Amidst rapid industrial expansion, it became necessary to bring the offices of the Presidency, spaces designed specifically for official functions, and administrative areas together within a single complex. As was often the case during this unique period, a purely industrial requirement resulted in a masterpiece.
An 80,000-square-metre site on the slopes of Navale Mountain was identified for the new building, which would become the Office Building. It was located not far from both the factories and, at the time, the highway junction. The project was a real challenge, taken up by imaginative architects such as Gian Antonio Bernasconi, Annibale Fiocchi and Marcello Nizzoli, the chief designer of Olivetti products.
Design work began in 1952 and was completed three years later. Construction began in 1960, the offices were relocated by 1963, and the official inauguration took place the following year. However, in February 1960, Adriano Olivetti passed away, which was a devastating blow but did not halt the process that was already well underway.
The result is a nine-storey reinforced concrete building, seven of which are above ground. The range of innovative solutions, from materials to design features, is impressive. Three 70-metre-long wings extend at 120-degree angles from a central hexagonal core housing a large spiral staircase. This design adds dynamism to the structure whilst reducing its visual impact despite its imposing scale.
The interior spaces are bathed in natural light thanks to the harmonious, continuous aluminium ribbon windows, whilst prefabricated, movable panels allow for unprecedented versatility in altering the surface area and layout of the offices.
A walkway from the south-east wing leads to the rectangular TAI building, the centre for Automatic Information Processing, which comprises three spacious halls housing electronic computers that were particularly bulky at the time.
Near the main entrance are exquisite decorations by Marcello Nizzoli depicting the Olivetti logo from the 1950s and 1960s in the form of a continuous Greek fret. Upon entering, visitors are faced with the grand spiral staircase, the building’s most distinctive feature. Covered by a flat skylight and adorned with a magnificent Murano glass canopy by the Venini glassworks in Venice, the grand staircase of the building quite literally catches the eye. It is no coincidence that it is renowned among architecture enthusiasts worldwide.
The use of exquisite materials is astonishing. Even a simple list of the materials used reads like a literary passage, a poem, or a journey—even an auditory one—through the finest craftsmanship in the country.
On the façade, the non-glazed secti>
with a band of grey Balma syenite.
Anodized aluminium bands are also used.
The flooring is as follows:
white Montorfano granite in the portico,
st>
Swedish Imperial Red granite in the stairwell,
classic Repen marble, Sicilian Perlato and Botticino on the other floors.
The interior finishes c>
solid Curar wood and Daniela laminated wood.
The skirting boards are made of solid Ghiand>
and white granite, bush-hammered …
Finally, the large green space in front of the building was designed by Piero Porcinai, who also conceived the row of poplars and cypresses on Via Jervis.
