“The principles that guide the Olivetti Crèche are not based on any particular school of thought, method, or educational approach. They embody the very best of the most progressive educational principles and, more importantly, they are neither static nor crystallised in theoretical rigidity. As research advances, life at the crèche evolves and adapts accordingly. This explains the purpose and value of initiatives such as the Parents’ School and the Refresher Course for staff (the former took place this year from February to May, with two lessons a week on children’s education and their life within the group and the family. The latter, intended for teachers, was held in early October and focused on the most up-to-date principles of pedagogy).”
With these valuable insights, in 1959 an article published in issue no. 61 of the company magazine Notizie Olivetti informed all employees about the operation of one of the company’s most important services: childcare. Even brief documents such as this help us understand the commitment—and how far ahead of its time—Olivetti was in embracing the concept of corporate social responsibility. Childcare services, summer camps, holiday camps, and nine months of fully paid maternity leave for female employees: among this constellation of initiatives, the new Crèche stands out.
It was completed in 1941 to a design by Luigi Figini and Gino Pollini – who had previously designed the first extension of the ICO Workshops. The crèche was built to meet the need to provide childcare for more children, given that the number of Olivetti employees had risen significantly in recent years. A strategic location was chosen, close to the railway station and bus stops, and just a few metres from the factory. Just a short distance away stood the detached houses commissioned by Camillo in 1926: the centre of the first Borgo Olivetti.
Everything was designed with children in mind. Featuring stone walls and pillars and excellent thermal insulation, the Olivetti crèche is a single-storey building to avoid the hazards of stairs. The classrooms open onto the patio, and a system of movable blinds allows for light and shade as required. The playroom and dining-hall look out through large windows onto the raised garden, which is thus set back from the road and away from traffic. The garden also features a play area, a covered portico, a pergola, a fountain, as well as benches, stone tables and a small swimming pool. Cypresses, pines and oleanders decorate the spaces.
In addition, fees are very low, thus removing any financial barriers. One of the key features of the services the company provides to its employees is precisely to make them affordable for as wide a range of people as possible, regardless of their financial circumstances. The overarching goal remains the same: to build a new kind of community on a human scale.
