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Introduction
The renovation project of the Central ICO building of the former Olivetti complex in Ivrea, northern Italy, aimed to restore and refurbish the building. Designed in the early 20th century by architects Figini and Pollini, the ICO structure is now the headquarters of Vodafone Italia. Like most international businesses, the company was eager to project its Company image through the architecture of its corporate headquarters and by creating comfortable working environments for staff. The project was given an added significance since it gave a new lease of life to a former industrial building by putting it to new use.
The ICO Central Building
The Central ICO Building is without doubt one of the most significant and famous architectures of its period in Italy.
Of all the Olivetti buildings in Ivrea, the Central ICO building best expresses the modern thinking and sense of community promoted by the company’s founder Adriano Olivetti as early as the 1930s.
The building took more than 10 years to complete, from 1938-1949. Several architects worked on the project:
Luigi Figini and Gino Pollini were responsible for the overall concept including the glazed curtain wall;
Annibale Fiocchi worked with the Milanese architects on the west wing project;
Ottavio Cascio redesigned the south façade in 1955 adding the external horizontal sun shading.
Of special note is the imposing façade giving onto Via Jervis. Right from the outset, Olivetti himself ensured that the enormous expanse of glazed curtain walling received wide publicity in specialist journals. It was also a major feature in other promotional ventures.
Putting the Building to New Use
Renovation of the 11,000 m2 Central ICO building is only the first stage of Vodafone Italia’s overall refurbishment project scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, and which will include renovation of the adjacent 10,000m2 New ICO building that will house the call centre, training section and (recently completely) canteen in more comfortable, people-friendly settings.
The first renovation stage involving the ICO Central was completed in October 2006. It involved the interiors of the whole of the ground and part of the first floor, the second floor and part of the third as well as the whole of the façade running along Via Jervis.
Work was completed in a record fifteen months thanks to carefully co-ordinated teamwork between the supplier companies, chief contractor and Vodafone Italia’s Property & Facilities Department.
The Façades: Restoration and Renewal
All renovation work was carried out in full compliance with environmental and architectural heritage laws applicable to the Olivetti complex.
The façades were in particular need of attention. The double outer envelope, comprising an inner and outer skin with an ample air space proved, on careful inspection, to be seriously deteriorated, failing to meet even the most elementary standards: the walls were neither water nor draught proof.
The hypothesis of carrying out pointing or piecemeal repairs to correct the “mistakes” made during the original craftsman-type construction was discarded, as was the hypothesis of doing nothing at all and creating a new, third outer skin over the first two.
Two different solutions were adopted, one for the main elevations, the other for the secondary façades.
The main elevations (facing Via Jervis and overlooking the monastery) for a total expanse of some 2,300m2 of outer envelope were conservatively restored. The work was supervised by the Giacopelli Architetti practice.
The inner skin was completely replaced by new curtain walling comprising an aluminium frame, whose profiles have thermal breaks, and low-emissivity, insulating safety glass to ensure compliance with all health and safety and building-efficiency regulations.
The secondary elevations (facing south and overlooking the small inner cloister) received the same new curtain wall that here became the single outer façade.
In order to comply with listed building regulations, the new façade, a total of 5,700m2, was designed by the company Ingegneria Diaspro following the original dimensions of glazed lights and outer metal frames. This required the development of a new system of aluminium profiles using specially designed extrusion matrices. The system was lab tested and approved.
This approach ensured conservation of listed-building façades and at the same time guaranteed the performance upgrade necessary to meet building-efficiency regulations in terms of thermal and acoustic insulation, safety, water-proofing and mechanical strength.
The severe deterioration of the outermost façades might even have justified replacing them with identical structures. However, the decision to go for the more costly and cumbersome option of restoring the outer skin along with its ingenious window-opening mechanisms guaranteed preservation of the infinite number of slight irregularities in size and materials typical of craft techniques, all of which help to give the façade its inimitable appearance of extreme modernity yet naivety at the same time, a feature that has made it justly famous.
Conservative restoration was not confined to the windows and frames of the main elevations but included all other elements of the outer envelope. The original colours were also respected.
The operation involved several thousand metres of original façade built in different periods with diverse materials and construction methods. It revealed all the typical failings of modern architecture, here heightened by the particularly dire state of conservation of the various elements, the experimental nature of many of the fittings and the natural tendency of the materials used, like the metal window frames, to guarantee only a limited useful lifespan.
Co-ordination among the engineering contractors ensured complete renovation and restoration of the structural and masonry elements along with the storm water collection and runoff system.
Refurbishment of the building for new use also meant complying with fire prevention regulations. This required the building of new fire escapes: two internal and one external staircase onto the cloister.
In conclusion, the type of renovation and restoration project made obligatory by recent Italian legislation put an end to the patchwork repairs of previous maintenance projects and imposed an overall approach to the huge problem of how to safeguard major examples of modern architecture like the former Olivetti buildings in Ivrea.
The Architectural Project
Along with the need to create an efficient working environment, Vodafone was equally anxious to make available spaces for staff socialisation and relaxation, a policy that was fully borne out by the Dante O. Benini & Partner project.
Work started on the exterior with the development of the new entrance located in the underpass in Via Montenavale. The area had been beset by persistent problems of flooding linked, among other things, to the municipal sewerage grid. The solution involved compartmentalisation of the area, achieved with a series of ramps and staircases. As well as affording protection, the partitions give a reassuring and aesthetically pleasing appearance to the entrance. A finely perforated sheet-steel screen close to the entrance serves a double purpose: it conceals the nearby parking lot and continues a dialogue with the wider urban fabric on a par with the art installations dotted around the rest of Ivrea as part of the MaAM open air museum initiative.
Inside, the reception lobby and access points are equipped with the latest security and surveillance technology. Beyond these, on the ground floor are the archives, storage and new canteen, a key focus for staff socialisation. The area has been designed as a dynamic, youthful environment. The large hall can seat 200 diners who are served from a free-flow counter and bar. Architectural and interior décor features – doorways, partitions and especially a well-calibrated blend of colours - all contribute to creating an informal, relaxing environment.
The original spatial layout has been preserved and the latest technical equipment unobtrusively added. Images of the former Olivetti canteen provide reminders of the building’s historic past and highlight the characteristic pillars with inverted-cone capitals. A false ceiling made of a series of strips conceals the air circulation and lighting systems.
Lifts and staircases lead from this ground floor to the upper storeys: technological services on part of the first floor; the new call centre with 400 work stations on the second and part of the third floor.
The open-plan layout receives natural light from the façades on both sides of the building. Individual operator comfort has been catered for with the use of special blinds that provide glare-free shade but do not hide occupants’ views over Via Jervis or the inner courts on the other side.
The call centre’s internal and external circulation routes have been clearly marked out with a colour scheme denoting the business function of each sector.
The project also permits great spatial flexibility. The open-space layout can be turned into closed offices with the use of moveable partitions.
The second storey also houses specialist staff training areas, meeting rooms, administrative and managerial offices. Both the technical equipment and furnishings are commensurate with the specialist requirements of each environment.
The lounge area forms a hinge between the New and Central ICO buildings. A precursor of future renovation work, this short-stay relaxation area is a virtual central square reached via connective passages whose glazed walls add significance to the approach. The lounge’s ample size, its informal furnishings and appropriate lighting are all conducive to worker/user comfort and relaxation, encouraging interchange with others working in the same company.
Plant and equipment suppliers, Ingegneria Sepro, were involved right from the drawing board phase to ensure the active and passive air conditioning and ventilation systems would be an integral part of the architecture. The key feature of all electric and hydraulic plant is their centralised control, coupled where possible, with local operability.
The lighting system, for example, can be centrally or locally operated.
All areas have been equipped with several safety features such as smoke-detection and acoustic alarm systems.
Turnstiles equipped with badge-reading technology provide security controls at the main entrances.
All safety and security systems are centrally monitored.
The heating and cooling system was given particular attention. A series of “ventilated induction beams” in the false ceilings allows the low-energy passage of heated or cooled air as required to provide comfort-zone temperatures. The system is able to accommodate the different heating or cooling requirements of each zone - due to variable exposure, occupancy levels etc. - and provide either instantaneous heating or cooling as needed.
The common denominator of the whole architectural and technical plant project was to ensure the physical and mental wellbeing of Company employees, a key factor impacting productivity. Indeed the future will see international corporations giving increasing attention to the whole issue of working environments with the aim of creating a dream place to live as well as work in.
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