In 1956, shortly after the construction of the Olivetti Study and Research Centre, the young architect Eduardo Vittoria was commissioned by Adriano Olivetti to design the heating plant, the facility intended to supply energy to the entire industrial complex. Vittoria designed a solution set on a platform to compensate for the difference in height of the road in front. The building appears extremely simple at first glance, but on closer inspection, it incorporates several particularly innovative features.
Completed in 1959, it appears as a single rectangular block. It actually consists of three large rooms arranged in a C-shape around a central patio. In this courtyard – covered by a light, transparent roof of iron and glass – is the control centre. The three surrounding rooms house the large boilers that supply energy to the entire Olivetti complex. Each is topped by a blackened sheet-metal chimney.
The beauty of this building does not require a particularly trained eye to be appreciated. Even purely functional areas such as these are the subject of aesthetic consideration, despite being designed with due regard for the space needed for internal operations and the dissipation of heat generated by the systems. The external concrete walls are complemented by both large, glazed surfaces and red and blue tiles. Colors combined with the bright glass constitute an element of absolute originality.
The use of high-quality lining, the overall color impact, and even the flower boxes bear witness to Eduardo Vittoria’s research and endeavour to move away from the solid, rigid industrial architecture of previous decades to devise novel solutions capable of boldly blending into the urban fabric.
