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Olivari started its activity in Borgomanero (No) in 1911 with the production of handles for doors and windows in brass, bronze and nickel silver. Since the beginning of the 30s it was amongst the fi rst Italian companies that established a relationship between industry and cultural operators, thus collaborating with the most prestigious names in the field of architecture at that time (the handles Libertas and Iustitia by Marcello Piacentiniare, indeed, of those years).
In the 50s Olivari collaborated with the Donegani Institute and perfected the aluminium alloy and the anodizing process,
which led to the production of the first handle obtained through anodic oxidation, the model Bica by Magnaghi and Terzaghi. Other handles were developed together with the protagonists of the post-war reconstruction: Ponti, Mangiarotti, Gardella, Nizzoli, B.B.P.R., Asti, Albini – Helg, Caccia Dominioni, Colombo.
In the 70s, being in the forefront in terms of technology and continuously following the evolution of taste, Olivari introduced in Italy a new material in the fi eld of handles, resin, and produced the models Boma, Iseo and Lario by the Studio Monti GPA. It revolutionized shapes and introduced colours, thus raising a great interest amongst the professional operators.
At the beginning of the 80s its business developed worldwide and it improved technologically with the collaboration of Giugiaro, Stoppino, Porsche, Bonetto, Magistretti, Mendini, Iosa Ghini.
In the 90s Olivari consolidated its international leading role in the handles’ sector in terms of high technology and great
focus on appearance and shapes. It is in these years that Olivari won the Compasso d’Oro award (1991) and that handles were designed by Branzi, Portoghesi, Sapper, Tusquets.
In the early years of 2000 it started the production of the handles designed by Mari, Sargiani, Irvine, Lissoni, Dordoni, who are perfect interpreters of the most rigorous formal minimalism. On the fi nishing front, Superfi nish® is the great innovation - a new technological cycle patented by Olivari, which keeps the surface colour and brightness unaltered over time (30 years guarantee). The research carried out has gone far beyond this with BioChrome®, which confers a world record on Olivari. BioChrome® is an innovative and environmentally-friendly chroming process patented by Olivari, the
first and only company in the world that has succeeded in applying trivalent chrome on brass instead of hexavalent chrome, which is harmful for health and pollutant.
The third millennium has just started and the research by Olivari continues…
Bibliography
| Taking architecture by the hand |
Innovation, design and environment |
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