What does this research mean for the field?

The pre-war organic design principles of Frank Lloyd Wright, particularly the use of the hexagon, significantly influenced the unique 1950s architectural forms created by Italian Rationalist architects on the Olivetti Company campus. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This analysis aims to explore the impact of Frank Lloyd Wright’s geometric ideas on Olivetti's architecture.

May 20, 2026Open Access

The Hexagon’s Persistent Presence: Frank Lloyd Wright and The Architecture of Olivetti

Key Points

This analysis aims to explore the impact of Frank Lloyd Wright’s geometric ideas on Olivetti's architecture.
Examined two unique buildings on the Olivetti Company campus in Ivrea.
Investigated geometric forms and cultural influences of pre-war architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Analyzed the works of Italian Rationalist architects and their divergence from previous styles.
The Olivetti buildings exhibit distinct hexagonal forms correlating with organic design principles.
Wright's concepts significantly influenced the architectural approaches of the Italian Rationalist architects involved.
The study reflects on how geometry in architecture expresses cultural ideas.

Abstract

Abstract Analysis of two unique buildings and their landscapes among the UNESCO recognized modern industrial city of Ivrea calls for an examination of their geometric forms and the ideas they represent. This research interrogates evident influences of the pre-war work of Frank Lloyd Wright as it informed these coincident structures designed by Italian Rationalist architects on the Olivetti Company campus in the 1950s. Since each of the Olivetti commissions differs formally from all past work by their renowned designers, their intentions and buildings provoke questions, and in both cases correlations of culture and mathematical form offer answers. Wright’s ideas about organic design had been fully embraced by members of Bruno Zevi’s APAO ( Associazione per Architettura Organica ) which remained at odds with the MSA ( Il Movimento per gli Studi di Architettura) with which Figini, Pollini, and Gardella were affiliated. Their notable works of architecture that demonstrate four performative principles of the hexagon present an opportunity for reflection on geometry’s capacity to connect and signify.

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