To be honest my main reason to visit Ivrea was its famous chocolate cake, the Torta900 or Torta Novecento at Pasticceria Balla, something that I really wanted to try after seeing the cake on TV couples of years ago, the UNESCO site was just a bonus. Unintentionally the road I used from highway exit to Pasticceria Balla was Via Guglielmo Jervis that run through the core zone of this World Heritage Site. At that time, I had no idea that those buildings were the inscribed ones, I even told my friend that this area must be a new modern zone of Ivrea. After enjoying the very delicious chocolate mousse filling inside cocoa-flavored sponge cake and good Italian coffee, I drove to see Olivetti complex guided by google map to be found out that those modern buildings we saw in the morning was actually our destination.

Fortunately, one free parking lot on Via Guglielmo Jervis was available so we could have a carefree sightseeing. The view of long factory building with many glass windows called ICO Workshop made me think of Van Nelle Factory in my hometown, Rotterdam. To our surprise the whole complex was not a museum, and interior viewing was not allowed, so we had nothing much to do with this beautiful piece of architectural. We impressed with the beautiful hexagonal pillars along the portico of the Social Service Center opposite ICO, the design was really complex but provide lightful environment. Then we went to see the former Olivetti Joinery, its triple rows of sun breaker façade were really eye catching. After that we walked to see the famous Unità Residenziale Ovest. On the way we saw many homes for Olivetti executives, all built in the same modern architecture of box houses, a very typical of modern-day housing but on peak day of Olivetti must be quite a revolution. When we reached Unità Residenziale Ovest, we saw private area sign and trespassing is not allowed!

Since all the sites only allowed to see the exterior, I was not sure about the outstanding universal value of Ivrea especially for architectural merit, but judging from urban landscape of this industrial town, I found many similarities with Victorian Saltaire in England, and the continuation of Sir Titus Salt’s idea of wellness in workplaces and surrounding communities. The modern style of Olivetti complex may root from liberal idea of its owner in post war era which in my opinion maybe the most interesting thing especially in the very cultural conservative Italy. I love the idea behind of this World Heritage Site, but the experience by far very disappointing, luckily that Torta900 saved the day.