the duty to give a lot back to them”. The Italian dedicated his life to making his famous family business, manufacturing calculators and typewriters, an example of management not only in economic, but also in social and architectural terms. On the outskirts of Ivrea in northern Italy, an hour and a half from Milan, he created one of the world’s most compre-hensive industrial cities, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site five years ago. The Olivetti City, designed between 1930 and 1960 by two great architects and urban planners of the time, Gino Pollini, and Eduardo Vittoria, was a complex of 27 buildings includ-ing residences, museums, kindergartens, residential build-ings of no more than four storeys and green areas. But behind the beauty of the concrete was also the creation of a social and political movement in favour of the working classes. “It is a prototype of a 20th century city, an experiment in a socio-cultural project, beyond the industrial, where architects and urban planners worked on the concept of community, of union between citizens and the working environment,” explains Fabio Sedia (Palermo, 1976), architect at the Italian Ministry of Culture (MIC). Adriano took advantage of his business success to launch a political party, Movimento Comunità, which fought for a more egalitarian economic model between workers and business owners, and used the Olivetti City to set principles that sought to ensure that a company’s profits were generated in the same environment. So, as the city grew, the lives of workers also improved, with more resources and services within that community: social security, education, childcare and even a magazine. “He created an open and interactive community, defining a path of cultural, social and personal growth that shifted the focus from company to people,” adds Sedia. The notion that Olivetti City was the perfect 20th century city is still being debated today. “We can consider it perfect in one sense, that of possessing an unsurpassed quality of ethi-cal, social and moral intentions that allowed for the develop-ment of a more equitable and caring society - of a commu-nity,” Sedia adds. Over time the buildings were abandoned, including the striking Palazzo Uffizi by architects Annibale Fiocchi, Marcello Nizzoli and Gian Antonio Bernasconi, built in a hexagonal shape as a meeting place that could accom-modate 2,000 people. Today, its helix-shaped staircase, the jewel of the complex, is still considered one of the most nota-ble examples of how to improve communication between employees. MILÁN Fotos: © Guelpa Foundation IVREA El estudio Olivetti y Centro de Investigación, que alojaba los cursos de formación diseñado por Eduardo Vittoria entre 1951 y 1954. // The Olivetti Studio and Research Center, a building that housed the training courses designed by Eduardo Vittoria between 1951 and 1954. MILÁN Vuelos // Flights: Dos vuelos diarios de Air Europa conectan la capital de España con Milán, la oportunidad de conocer a fondo esta ciudad de la moda italiana. // Two daily Air Europa flights connect the capital of Spain with Milan, giving you the chance to really get to know this Italian city of fashion. www.aireuropa.com