COMMUNITY AS CATALYST: The Case of Olivetti, 1933–1960

Imagine the impact on the lives of workers and their families if an employer provided elegant housing, child care facilities flooded with natural light, and recreation zones with innovative regional planning, all supported by an abbreviated work week. This was Adriano Olivetti’s modern Italy.

Building on research she developed during her 2015 residency at the Bogliasco Foundation, architectural historian Kay Bea Jones (BF '15) will discuss the golden years of Adriano Olivetti's typewriter company, his vision of a democratic modern society and the essential role of design in creating community.