The client
Pirelli Foundation
Since 2008, by the will of the company and the Pirelli family, the Pirelli Foundation has been preserving the documentation of the company's history from its inception in 1872 to today.
Partners
Activities performed
Project Design
Development of Cataloging Software Platforms
Creation of a Digital Library
OPAC Development (Online Public Access Catalog)
Digital Archival Consultancy
Context and needs
The Pirelli Foundation engages in various activities to enhance the company’s heritage, including curating publications, organizing exhibitions and conferences, and offering guided tours that attract thousands of visitors annually. These activities are often carried out in collaboration with other cultural institutions. Each year, the Foundation conducts research in support of the company’s departments and for scholars at both national and international levels. Topics of research range from economic and industrial history to architecture, labor history, industrial relations, graphic design, and more. Additionally, the Foundation runs educational programs for students of all ages, aiming to introduce younger generations to the world of industry and work, while fostering an understanding of the core values of Pirelli’s corporate culture.
The project
Regesta.exe provided indexing, search, and navigation services for articles in the Foundation’s scientific and technical journal and developed the digital library’s website for publication and access. The site offers online access to inventories and descriptions of the various archives (drawings, posters, photographs, document collections, audiovisuals), as well as the related digital resources.
The Pirelli Foundation has adopted xDams for cataloging and digitally inventorying its historical, photographic, and audiovisual collections, migrating all previously created databases from the GEA 5 software into this new environment.
The Pirelli digital archive website, built with a responsive design, uses integrated open-source technologies: xDams for archive management, Apache Solr for search and navigation, and Video.js as an HTML5 multi-platform player for video playback.
Project objectives and metrics
The goal of the Pirelli Foundation is to safeguard and provide access to over 3.5 kilometers of documents, including photographs, sketches, and advertising materials, as well as the documentation of the “History of Pirelli Industries”, which continues to reflect the company’s rich corporate culture.
