“Olivetti's Scarmagno Factory:an Industrial Icon” explores the rise of Olivetti’s major production hub near Ivrea — a landmark of postwar Italian industrial design and innovation.

Built in the 1960s to sustain Olivetti’s rapid growth, the Scarmagno factory became a model of human-centered industrial architecture, where technology, design, and well-being coexisted in perfect balance.

Designed by Marco Zanuso and Eduardo Vittoria, it embodied a vision of progress that merged productivity with aesthetics — a legacy that still defines Olivetti’s identity today. 

Olivetti’s ‘Red Books’: The Blueprint of Brand Identity

In the 1970s, Olivetti redefined corporate identity through a visionary project: I Libri Rossi — the Red Books.
More than just design manuals, they became a blueprint for global coherence, shaping how the brand appeared on every surface, from packaging to architecture.

Developed under the direction of Hans von Klier and featuring the refined logo redesigned by Walter Ballmer, the Red Books balanced creativity and consistency, ensuring that Olivetti’s visual language evolved without losing its soul. An essential chapter in the story of how design became identity — and identity became legacy.

Pier Giorgio Perotto and the Birth of the Programma 101

Engineer, inventor, and visionary, Pier Giorgio Perotto transformed the way the world understood computing. At Olivetti, he led the creation of the Programma 101, the first personal computer — a revolutionary machine that made technology accessible, intuitive, and personal.

This episode of #OLIverse retraces Perotto’s story, his groundbreaking innovation, and the spirit of experimentation that defined Olivetti’s approach to design and technology.

Olivetti’s Integrated Assembly Units: Beyond the Assembly Line

In the early 1970s, Olivetti reimagined industrial work. Moving beyond the traditional Taylorist model, the company introduced Integrated Assembly Units — small, autonomous teams responsible for complete tasks.

This innovative approach enhanced productivity, responsibility, and satisfaction, transforming the factory floor into a place of collaboration and human value. Decades ahead of its time, Olivetti once again proved that innovation begins with people.

Olivetti’s Architecture: Employee Housing and Urban Planning

This episode explores how Olivetti redefined corporate responsibility through architecture and urban planning. From Ivrea’s Borgo Olivetti to Quartiere Castellamonte and beyond, the company invested in high-quality housing designed by leading architects, creating environments where work, community, and daily life could thrive together.

Discover how this pioneering vision turned homes into a cornerstone of Olivetti’s human-centered approach to industry.

Olivetti Programma 101: Personal Computing Pioneer

In the 1960s, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 — a groundbreaking machine designed by Pier Giorgio Perotto that anticipated the personal computer era by more than a decade.

First presented at the 1965 BEMA exhibition in New York, the P101 became an instant success, blending visionary design and technological ingenuity.
Episode 31 of #OLIverse retraces the story of this innovation, its global impact, and how it reshaped the way we think about computing.

Ivrea’s Blue House: Olivetti’s Hub of Innovation

In the early 1950s, architect Eduardo Vittoria designed Olivetti’s “Blue House” in Ivrea — a bold experiment in architecture and research. Blending Mediterranean aesthetics with functional design, it became a hub for technological innovation and a symbol of human-centered progress.

Episode 30 of OLIverse retraces how this iconic building evolved into a UNESCO World Heritage site and a concrete testament to Olivetti’s enduring vision.

Olivetti: A Legacy of Design and Innovation

From typewriters to electronic devices, design was never just aesthetics for Olivetti — it was identity, function, and communication.
This episode explores how the “Olivetti style” blended technology, ergonomics, and beauty, creating products that became icons of modernity and earned global recognition.

Roberto Olivetti shaped Italy’s path into the electronic age.
Visionary and determined, he created the nation’s first electronic research laboratory and introduced the groundbreaking Elea 9003, a milestone in European computing.

His legacy blends technological foresight with cultural ambition, revealing how innovation can redefine both industry and society.

How did Olivetti support women in the workplace when most companies did not?

This episode of OLIverse explores the evolution of women’s roles in Olivetti factories from the 1920s to the 1960s — highlighting improved conditions, access to training, and a culture of respect that set the company apart in a male-dominated industrial world.

Discover how Olivetti fostered inclusion, reshaped factory life, and anticipated key themes of today’s gender equality debates.

Olivetti’s Pioneering Social Welfare for Children and Families

Long before corporate benefits became the norm, Olivetti built a system of care that supported families from pregnancy to preschool — with advanced maternity benefits, pediatric clinics, nurseries, and summer camps.

This episode explores how Olivetti’s vision turned social responsibility into daily reality: creating healthier, happier communities and setting a standard that inspired generations. Discover a story where industry and humanity moved forward together.

Olivetti: The Evolution of Portable Typewriters

From heavy office machines to design icons you could carry anywhere. This episode retraces Olivetti’s bold move into the world of portable typewriters — starting with the MP1 and reaching its creative peak with the legendary Lettera 22, a masterpiece that changed not just how people worked, but how they connected with words.

Discover how innovation and design transformed a tool into a cultural phenomenon, paving the way for later models like the Lettera 32 and the iconic Valentine.

Olivetti in Brazil: Zanuso’s Modular Factory Architecture

In the mid-20th century, Olivetti looked beyond Italy and built a factory in São Paulo, Brazil — reimagined by architect Marco Zanuso as an open, modular, and climate-conscious industrial space.

This episode explores how triangular domes, natural light, and design flexibility created a workspace ahead of its time, reflecting Olivetti’s unique blend of technology, humanism, and architecture.

Olivetti: Mechanical Calculator Advertising Campaigns
How do you make a calculating machine captivating?

From 1940 to 1970, Olivetti’s vision went beyond functionality — turning calculators into symbols of style, precision, and modernity. This episode explores how designers like Giovanni Pintori and Walter Ballmer transformed technical products into cultural icons through bold graphics, abstract shapes, and lifestyle storytelling.

Discover the creative strategies that built a brand image as innovative as its technology — and why even the best campaigns couldn’t stop the rise of electronics.

Natale Capellaro: Olivetti’s Self-Taught Genius Engineer

From apprentice to mastermind. This episode tells the extraordinary story of Natale Capellaro, the son of a shoemaker who became one of Olivetti’s most brilliant technical minds.

With no formal engineering degree, Capellaro revolutionized typewriter production and later designed groundbreaking mechanical calculators — making Olivetti a world leader in computation. A journey of talent, vision, and relentless curiosity.

Olivetti in Silicon Valley: from New Canaan to Cupertino

How did a historic Italian company find its way into the world of electronics and computing?
This episode traces Olivetti’s bold leap into innovation — from the experimental lab in New Canaan, USA, to the groundbreaking Elea computers developed at the Laboratorio di Ricerche Elettroniche in Italy.

We follow the rise, transformation, and revival of Olivetti’s electronic research, all the way to the opening of a new lab in Cupertino, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
A story of vision, technology, and a company that never stopped reinventing itself.

Poets in the Factory: When Culture Met Industry at Olivetti

From the 1940s to the 1980s, Olivetti invited poets, novelists, and intellectuals not to decorate his company — but to shape it. This episode explores how Olivetti built an enterprise where engineers worked alongside writers, and where culture was considered essential to progress.
 
Literary minds were placed in departments like advertising, HR, and social services, contributing to innovative communication, workplace well-being, and the soul of a visionary industrial model. Discover a story where economy met poetry — and both thrived.

People First: The Burzio Fund and Olivetti’s Social Vision

In 1932, Olivetti established the Domenico Burzio Fund, a quiet but powerful expression of corporate social responsibility. Named after the company’s first Technical Director — remembered for his deep humanity and care for workers — the fund offered discreet, personal support to employees in times of hardship.

This episode explores how Olivetti translated ethics into action, building a workplace culture rooted in dignity, trust, and solidarity — long before these values became standard in the business world.

Lexikon and Beyond: Olivetti’s Typewriting Revolution

From the mechanical elegance of the Lexikon 80 — a global success and MoMA design icon — to the era of electric and electronic innovation, this episode traces Olivetti’s professional typewriters as symbols of both form and function.

Discover how these machines helped shape the future of office technology, blending precision engineering, cutting-edge design, and a vision that would eventually lead to the world of personal computing.

Design in Every Detail: The Olivetti Store in Venice

This episode explores Olivetti’s belief that beauty and function should define not just its products, but its spaces — including its retail stores. At the heart of this vision stands the Venice showroom, designed in 1957 by Carlo Scarpa, a masterpiece of architecture, balance, and precision.

Set near St. Mark’s Square, the store embodied Olivetti’s identity through spatial elegance and material innovation. Though it later closed for economic reasons, today it lives on as a public museum thanks to the FAI, preserving both Scarpa’s genius and Olivetti’s cultural legacy.