Adriano OLIVETTI

In broad daylight they roamed the streets. Caps adorned with the Roman fasces symbol (an axe bound in leather) - daggers and pistols strapped at the hip. They were the Blackshirts – a fascist militia hunting for members of the Italian resistance. Known for their brutality, their cruelties extended beyond the capture, torture and execution of partisans – as their well known policy of ‘a head for tooth’ promised to massacre twenty civilian hostages (often entire families of resistance members) for each soldier or Blackshirt killed.

It was at this time that Adriano Olivetti – a staunch yet secretive anti-fascist – inherited his father’s typewriter company. Using his position as a prominent businessman, the company became a front to facilitate the resistance. His factory floor was a hub for anti-fascist activity - providing a safe house, false documents, food and intelligence to partisans. As charming as he was connected, Olivetti operated with relative impunity – a position he took significant advantage of.

Granted the unrestricted freedom to travel, Olivetti journeyed between Italy and Bern. It was here that Olivetti was welcomed to the Sarre Royal Castle in the foothills of the Swiss Alps, where he began a rumoured romance with the Princess of Italy – a co-conspirator in his desire to overthrow Mussolini. She introduced to Allen Dulles, an American spy and head of the Office of Strategic Services – and he was immediately recruited to work as an Agent – number 660.

But Olivetti’s freedom was short lived. Italy was heating up, and informants had betrayed his companies clandestine operation. In desperation to cling to power Mussolini had become paranoid – and as such being under even the slightest suspicion was a sure ticket to the firing squad. Yet, with the Allies fast closing in on Germany, and the Nazi’s disastrous campaign in Russia – Olivetti could finally, albeit tentatively, envision a post-war Italy. He remained holed-up in Bern, and during his exile planned his next moves. Desperate to return and continue his father’s legacy – he began to reimagine Industrial Design as more than just a tool for profit - and instead a means to create a more equitable society. In the final days of the war he completed his book, L'ordine politico delle comunita` where he outlined his personal philosophy of ‘Democratic Design’ - a vision for a society based on community and social responsibility.

Returning to Italy in 1945, he put his philosophy into action. Olivetti’s shop floor became a modern factory utopia. He removed hierarchical titles, introduced a five-day working week (cutting a day from the standard six-day week) and offered nine-month paid maternity leave (unheard of in Italy at the time). Moreover, instead of hiring only managers and technicians, he sought artists, writers, architects and designers - notably Ettore Sottsass, Gae Aulenti, Mario Bellini and Marcello Nizzoli to fufil his vision. At its peak Olivetti employed over 73,000 people.

Olivetti was profoundly moved by the task of improving the quality of Italian life – taking a humanist approach to all aspects of his work. Typewriters, calculators, computers and ashtrays were not just practical items to Olivetti - they were artworks’ accessible to all. A perfect example of this vision is Olivetti’s signature typewriter Lettera 22 designed by Marcello Nizzoli. It was not only a technical masterpiece (portable, lightweight and compact) and but also a design masterpiece - with its clean lines, elegant typeface and enamel colour-ways. The far reaching cultural appeal for the Lettera 22 cannot be underestimated - a typewriter known to be favoured by likes of Fidel Castro, Sylvia Plath and Bob Dylan.

Beyond product design, Olivetti’s passion was Architecture, and the companies headquarters - The La Serra complex - stands in tribute to his vision. Designed in 1967 by Ginio Cappai and Pietro Mainardis, it became a cultural centre and meeting place for Olivetti employees - consisting of an auditorium, a cinema, hotel and restaurant. The building itself was designed to resemble a typewriter, wherein the 'keys' are pod-like office rooms protruding from the building, and the 'carriage' is a cantilever overhang. Today, the building stands partially abandoned, but despite this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - deemed the "Industrial City of the 20th Century"

During the Cold War, Adriano along with Mario Tchou designed the ELEA - or Elaboratore Elettronico Aritmetico. At the time, it was the world’s most powerful computer. Manufactured in Italy, the ELEA was the main competitor of IBM. But while the U.S. was investing in information technology, the Italian government was not. As a result, the company decided to extend business to Russia and China (which proved to be a poor choice during the Cold War) and eventually sold their mainframe business to General Electric in 1964 for pennies on the dollar.

Less than five years later, at only 58, Adriano suffered a deadly stroke while on a train to Switzerland. An autopsy did not follow, which has fueled conspiracy theories about his death - which many claim was by the hand of the U.S. Secret Service. Despite his short life, Olivetti’s legacy as a visionary entrepreneur who combined business success with a humanistic and social consciousness lives on. He is remembered as the key figure in creating the template industrial model that prioritised community, worker well-being, and visionary design.