The Olivetti factory in Pozzuoli represents a rare example of harmony between industrial architecture and a context of extraordinary landscape importance. The factory, one of the most beautiful in the country, was born in the early 1950s out of a meeting between Adriano Olivetti, an enlightened entrepreneur, and Luigi Cosenza, the architect in charge of studying the Campania Regional Plan.
‘I want you to understand the blackness of a Monday in the life of a worker,‘ Olivetti told his managers. This great vision of the entrepreneur is translated into the original design of the building, which is based on the idea of wanting to let in as much natural light as possible. The complex is developed in several bodies characterised by large windows that connect man, considered the centre of the factory, with the surrounding landscape surrounded by nature, allowing the view to extend outside the closed space.
The complex has recently been the subject of a renovation project involving the construction of new offices for a multinational company in the energy sector located inside body C of the complex. The intervention involved an area of approximately 3600 square metres located on the ground floor of the building, plus approximately 125 square metres of mezzanine.
The spaces, after an initial strip-out phase, were completely renovated in terms of both construction and plant engineering with the aim of ensuring maximum flexibility. Natural light played a central role in the intervention, which was aimed at rendering Olivetti’s vision within the spaces and maintaining the dialogue between the open-plan spaces and the outdoor green spaces, a fundamental element also in the original design of the factory.
The lighting design, carried out by PERFORMANCE iN LIGHTING, was developed precisely to ensure a harmonious relationship between man and nature, fitting respectfully into the factory of one of the greatest protagonists of the rebirth of Italian industry after World War II. The company’s careful planning aimed to harmonise three different guidelines: the great attention to energy saving, the dynamic dialogue with natural lighting, and the ability of lighting to promote the well-being of operators, improving operations and avoiding visual fatigue.
From the wide range of PERFORMANCE iN LIGHTING, luminaires were selected for office lighting that prevent fatigue and ensure optimum visual comfort in compliance with the applicable standards for good lighting quality in the workplace. Particular attention was also paid to the aspect of energy sustainability by using all LED products that guarantee low consumption.
For these reasons, linear LED luminaires with pendant, ceiling or recessed installation have been chosen that comply with the EN 12464-1 standard for lighting in workplaces. These products ensure proper glare limitation and promote visual comfort thanks to micro-prism diffusers that provide high light uniformity. Round pendant luminaires with minimalist lines in different sizes and versions, installed on the ceiling or suspended, illuminate meeting and gathering areas. Ceiling downlights and wall-mounted luminaires complete the range and provide general and safety lighting for transit areas. The light output of the majority of the installed luminaires is controlled thanks to the DALI digital protocol that allows the lighting to be varied by adapting it to changing daylight conditions, providing the optimal light for the well-being of the operators at all times of the day.
Photo Mario Ferrara
