Ivrea is the former campus town of the renowned Italian typewriter company Olivetti and a fine example of successful Modernist design.

Set in the Alpine foothills of the Canavese, Ivrea is the former campus town of the renowned Italian typewriter company Olivetti. Until last year its exemplary social architecture was home to the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, a research body founded by Olivetti and Telecom Italia (its owner), to carry on the company’s tradition of legendary innovation in design. The relocation of the institute to the Domus Academy Milan has taken some of the vigour out of the town, but what remains is a curious open-air ‘museum’ (the Museo a Cielo Aperto dell’Architettura Moderna di Ivrea (MAAM) ) that attempts to preserve (and conserve) a moment in history. It is disappointing that the interiors of most of the buildings are not accessible, but Ivrea should be required viewing for anyone in need of confirmation of Modernism’s successes. […]

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