#OLIverse, deep dives into Olivetti
Episodes
OLIverse - 52 - DESIGN - Olivetti PCs: Making Friendly a New Technology
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1980s, personal computing was still unfamiliar territory for most people. To introduce the M20 and M24, Olivetti developed a communicatio...
OLIverse - 51 - PEOPLE - Renzo Zorzi: Shaping Olivetti's Cultural Legacy
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Renzo Zorzi played a central role in preserving and evolving the cultural identity of Olivetti during a period of profound technological transformatio...
OLIverse - 50 - WELFARE - Beyond work: Olivetti's Innovative Recreational Group
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Long before corporate welfare became a structured discipline, Olivetti was already investing in the social and cultural life of its employees.From ear...
OLIverse - 49 - PRODUCTS - Olivetti and the Rise of Electronic Writing
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before the PC: Olivetti’s Word Processing RevolutionThe evolution of writing technologies marks one of the most significant transitions in the histo...
OLIverse - 48 - ARCHITECTURE - Louis Kahn and the Olivetti Factory in Harrisburg
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Louis Kahn and the Olivetti Factory in Harrisburg explores one of the most remarkable encounters between industrial ambition and architectural innovat...
OLIverse - 47 - DESIGN - Olivetti Valentine: The Red Revolution in Typewriter Design
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 1969, Olivetti introduced the Valentine, designed by Ettore Sottsass. More than a portable typewriter, it was a deliberate cultural statement.Launc...
OLIverse - 46 - People - Mario Tchou and Olivetti: the Birth of Italian Computing
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mario Tchou and the Dawn of Italian Computing explores the visionary engineer who led Olivetti into the electronic age.Recruited by Adriano Olivetti i...
OLIverse - 45 - WELFARE - Olivetti: Industry, Environment, and Vision in the 1970s
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti and the Early Roots of Corporate Environmental Responsibility explores a little-known chapter of industrial history.In the early 1970s — be...
OLIverse - 44 - PRODUCTS - Designing Work: Sottsass and Olivetti Series 45
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sottsass democratized the office with Olivetti's Series 45explores one of the most ambitious office design systems of the 20th century. Launched in th...
OLIverse - 43 - SPECIAL EPISODE - Olivetti & Sport: Technology, Sponsorship, Records
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti at Play: Technology Behind Global SportLong before real-time data became the backbone of global sport, Olivetti was already redefining how co...
OLIverse - 42 - ARCHITECTURE - Olivetti’s Office Palace: Architecture for Work and Community
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti Headquarters: Architecture of the Ivrea Office Palace In the 1960s, Olivetti designed a new kind of corporate headquarters in Ivrea, rethinki...
OLIverse - 41 - DESIGN - Olivetti's Revolutions: Ergonomics by Design
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How Olivetti made machine bow down: the Birth of ErgonomicsLong before ergonomics became a global standard, Olivetti redefined the relationship betwee...
OLIverse - 40 - PEOPLE - Marisa Bellisario: Italy’s First Lady of Electronics and Management
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marisa Bellisario at Olivetti: Leadership in the Electronic AgeFrom Olivetti to the global stage of electronics, Marisa Bellisario reshaped the langua...
OLIverse - 39 - WELFARE - Olivetti's Center for Psychology and Work Organization
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Olivetti: The Psychology Lab That Transformed WorkThe Olivetti Psychology Center was one of the company’s most pioneering initiatives, design...
OLIverse - 38 - WELFARE - Beyond the Factory: Olivetti's Everyday Welfare
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores Olivetti’s innovative approach to employee welfare through its meal and transport programs. From the creation of architectural...
OLIverse - 37 - PRODUCTS - Olivetti and the Birth of Electronic Calculation
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti Calculating Machines: from Gears to CircuitsThis episode explores Olivetti’s evolution from mechanical precision to electronic innovation —...
OLIverse - 36 - ARCHITECTURE - Olivetti's Scarmagno Factory: an Industrial Icon
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“Olivetti's Scarmagno Factory:an Industrial Icon” explores the rise of Olivetti’s major production hub near Ivrea — a landmark of postwar Ital...
OLIverse - 35 - DESIGN - Olivetti's "Red Books" - The Blueprint of Brand Identity
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti’s ‘Red Books’: The Blueprint of Brand IdentityIn the 1970s, Olivetti redefined corporate identity through a visionary project: I Libri ...
OLIverse - 34 - PEOPLE - Pier Giorgio Perotto: Inventing the Future at Olivetti
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pier Giorgio Perotto and the Birth of the Programma 101Engineer, inventor, and visionary, Pier Giorgio Perotto transformed the way the world understoo...
OLIverse - 33 - WORK - How Olivetti Transformed the Assembly Line
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti’s Integrated Assembly Units: Beyond the Assembly LineIn the early 1970s, Olivetti reimagined industrial work. Moving beyond the traditional...
OLIverse - 32 - WELFARE - Building Communities: Olivetti’s Vision for Employee Housing
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti’s Architecture: Employee Housing and Urban PlanningThis episode explores how Olivetti redefined corporate responsibility through architectu...
OLIverse - 31 - PRODUCTS - Olivetti's P101: the First Personal Computer
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti Programma 101: Personal Computing PioneerIn the 1960s, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 — a groundbreaking machine designed by Pier Gior...
OLIverse - 30 - ARCHITECTURE - Olivetti's Blue House: the Hub of Human-centered Innovation
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ivrea’s Blue House: Olivetti’s Hub of InnovationIn the early 1950s, architect Eduardo Vittoria designed Olivetti’s “Blue House” in Ivrea —...
OLIverse - 29 - DESIGN - Form and Function: the Power of Olivetti Design
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti: A Legacy of Design and InnovationFrom typewriters to electronic devices, design was never just aesthetics for Olivetti — it was identity, ...
OLIverse - 28 - PEOPLE - Roberto Olivetti: the Pioneer of Italian Electronics
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Roberto Olivetti shaped Italy’s path into the electronic age.Visionary and determined, he created the nation’s first electronic research laborator...
OLIverse - 27 - WORK - Equality at Olivetti: Women in the Factory
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 Oliv...
OLIverse - 26 - WELFARE - Beyond Work: Olivetti's Care for Families
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti’s Pioneering Social Welfare for Children and FamiliesLong before corporate benefits became the norm, Olivetti built a system of care that s...
OLIverse - 25 - PRODUCTS - Olivetti: the Evolution of Portable Typewriters
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti: The Evolution of Portable TypewritersFrom heavy office machines to design icons you could carry anywhere. This episode retraces Olivetti’s...
OLIverse - 24 - ARCHITECTURE - Olivetti in Brazil: Zanuso's Modular Factory
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti in Brazil: Zanuso’s Modular Factory ArchitectureIn the mid-20th century, Olivetti looked beyond Italy and built a factory in São Paulo, Br...
OLIverse - 23 - DESIGN - Art Meets Numbers: Olivetti’s Calculator Advertising
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti: Mechanical Calculator Advertising CampaignsHow do you make a calculating machine captivating?From 1940 to 1970, Olivetti’s vision went bey...
OLIverse - 22 - PEOPLE - Natale Capellaro: Olivetti's Self-Taught Genius Engineer
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Natale Capellaro: Olivetti’s Self-Taught Genius EngineerFrom apprentice to mastermind. This episode tells the extraordinary story of Natale Capella...
OLIverse - 21 - TECHNOLOGY - Olivetti in Silicon Valley: from New Canaan to Cupertino
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti in Silicon Valley: from New Canaan to CupertinoHow did a historic Italian company find its way into the world of electronics and computing?Th...
OLIverse - 20 - WORK - Poets in the Factory: Olivetti's Humanist Enterprise
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poets in the Factory: When Culture Met Industry at OlivettiFrom the 1940s to the 1980s, Olivetti invited poets, novelists, and intellectuals not to de...
OLIverse - 19 - WELFARE - People First: The Burzio Fund and Olivetti’s Social Vision
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
People First: The Burzio Fund and Olivetti’s Social VisionIn 1932, Olivetti established the Domenico Burzio Fund, a quiet but powerful expression of...
OLIverse - 18 - PRODUCTS - Lexikon: the Typewriter that Spoke to the World
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lexikon and Beyond: Olivetti’s Typewriting RevolutionFrom the mechanical elegance of the Lexikon 80 — a global success and MoMA design icon — to...
OLIverse - 17 - ARCHITECTURE - Carlo Scarpa and the Olivetti Store in Venice
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Design in Every Detail: The Olivetti Store in VeniceThis episode explores Olivetti’s belief that beauty and function should define not just its prod...
OLIverse - 16 - DESIGN - The Poetry of Publicity: Olivetti's 1930s Campaigns
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Advertising as Art: Olivetti’s Visual RevolutionIn the 1930s, Adriano Olivetti reimagined advertising—not as a tool to sell, but as a way to inspi...
OLIverse - 15 - PEOPLE - Dino Olivetti: Innovator and Internationalist
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dino Olivetti, the youngest son of founder Camillo Olivetti, played a pivotal yet often overlooked role in shaping the company’s international futur...
OLIverse - 14 - TECHNOLOGY - Olivetti's Sintering Technology and Tecsinter
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we uncover the little-known but highly innovative role of sintering in Olivetti’s manufacturing history. From the 1950s to the 1980...
OLIverse - 13 - WORK - How Olivetti trained Five Generations of Innovators
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode traces the evolution of technical education at Olivetti—from early on-the-job learning to the creation of structured programs like the ...
OLIverse - 12 - WELFARE - Culture for all: Olivetti's Libraries and the Cultural Center
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores Olivetti’s unique vision of culture as a tool for collective growth. From the creation of an open-access company library in th...
OLIverse - 11 - PRODUCTS - The Rise of the Mechanic Calculators
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did Olivetti become a global leader in mechanical calculators?This episode explores the company’s journey from early prototypes to the iconic Di...
OLIverse - 10 - ARCHITECTURE - Building the Future: the Pozzuoli Plant
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti in Pozzuoli: A Factory with a VisionThis episode explores the Olivetti factory in Pozzuoli, a model of industrial and social innovation. Desi...
OLIverse - 9 - DESIGN - Olivetti advertising: 1912-1940
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before Olivetti became a global icon of design, its advertising shaped the way people saw technology. Between 1912 and 1940, Olivetti’s campaigns ev...
OLIverse - 8 - PEOPLE - Adriano Olivetti, the visionary
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Few leaders have redefined the relationship between industry, culture, and society like Adriano Olivetti. A visionary entrepreneur, he transformed Oli...
OLIverse - 7 - TECHNOLOGY - The foundry: mechanics and materials
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Before Olivetti typewriters and calculators came to life, their journey began in the Olivetti Foundry—a groundbreaking industrial hub designed to sh...
OLIverse - 6 - WORK - Skills, Jobs and Training
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivetti and the Power of Knowledge: Building a Skilled WorkforceAt Olivetti, work has never been just about production—it is about growth, knowledg...
OLIverse - 5 - WELFARE - The Olivetti Social Model
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Olivetti Social State: A Visionary Welfare ModelWhat made Olivetti more than just a company? In this episode of OLIverse, we explore Olivetti's gr...
OLIverse - 4 - PRODUCTS - M1, M20, M40: the first typewriters
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
M1, M20, M40: The First TypewritersThe story of Olivetti begins with three groundbreaking machines: the M1, M20, and M40 typewriters. More than just o...
OLIverse - 3 - ARCHITECTURE - Olivetti: the First Factory in Ivrea
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The First Olivetti Factory: A Vision in Brick and SteelFrom the iconic Red Brick Factory designed by Camillo Olivetti to the expanded ICO workshops by...
OLIverse - 2 - DESIGN - Identity: the Olivetti Logo
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Evolution of the Olivetti Logo: A Story of Design and InnovationWhat makes a logo timeless? In this episode of #OLIverse, we explore the fascinati...
OLIverse - 1 - PEOPLE - Camillo Olivetti
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Camillo Olivetti: The Visionary Behind an Italian IconDiscover the man who started it all. In this episode of #OLIverse, we take you back to the origi...
TRAILER - Olivetti, the History of a Company
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to #OLIverse: A New Way to Experience Olivetti’s LegacyPrepare to dive into a story of innovation, design, and vision like you’ve never he...