Villa Rossi in Ivrea, Italy: UNESCO World Heritage Site

Byfuturedxb

Ivrea is a town and comune of the City of Turino in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. In 2018, it was included in the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Ivrea, the Industrial City of the 20th Century.

Villa Rossi

© @fabiooggero

In Ivrea, Villa Rossi is part of the modernism-designed Olivetti industrial city, and has recently been restored by Turino-based architecture firm G Studio. Villa Rossi is one of the four villas commissioned in 1959 by Olivetti executives between the 1930s and 60s. The Olivetti Company produced typewriters, mechanical calculators and computers. Villa Rossi is part of Adriano Olivetti’s bold vision for a modern industrial city. A  UNESCO Visitor’s Center offers free admission, although reservations are required on weekends.

Architect Erico Giacopelli of G Studio led the restoration of Villa Rossi with the aim of preserving its original features and improving its energy efficiency. Villa Rossi, with its innovative architecture (at the time), stands out as one of Italy’s best examples of modernism architecture with its flat roofs, loggias, sunshades and the use of various size sandstone building materials.

interior

© @fabiooggero

The restoration project focused on the façades, sunshades, metal components and perimeter walls. Sandstone façades were restored, and any damaged, glazed terracotta elements were repaired. The interior’s original furnishings and lighting fixtures were also restored.

This project serves as a successful model in the field of restoration and sustainable adaptation of 20th-century buildings. Architect Giacopelli’s integrated approach has been instrumental for  raising awareness and responsibility among clients in actively preserving Ivrea’s modern heritage.

porch balcony view

© @fabiooggero

Ivrea is about a 50-minute drive north from the center of Torino, on the road to Valle d’Aosta (Aosta Valley), where the towering Italian Alps offer excellent skiing and ancient castles, and summer brings beautiful wildflowers, mountain biking and hiking.