Beyond the Factory Town: Sustainable New Uses and Cultural Continuity of Olivetti’s Architectural Heritage in Ivrea, Italy

Adaptive reuse of twentieth-century architectural heritage, such as Olivetti’s buildings in Ivrea, Italy, must balance contemporary functionality with cultural and material integrity to ensure long-term sustainability. A qualitative study of four case studies within the UNESCO World Heritage site revealed that successful reuse depends on preserving spatial structure, constructional logic, and urban context while accommodating new functions. The research used an interdisciplinary framework of eight indicators—spatial adaptability, social impact, heritage conservation, and environmental performance—to assess transformations from original to post-reuse configurations (T0 to T1). Findings highlight cultural continuity as a multidimensional condition, offering a critical evaluation tool for modern architectural heritage conservation.

Calcagni, L., Canducci, A., & Vetere, I. (2026). Beyond the Factory Town: Sustainable New Uses and Cultural Continuity of Olivetti’s Architectural Heritage in Ivrea, Italy. Sustainability, 18(18), 9248. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18189248