Edoardo Gellner: The Perfectionist Architect Behind ENI's Model Village
Italian architect Edoardo Gellner was commissioned by Enrico Mattei to create the ENI village in Borca di Cadore. He completed his studies at the Regio Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia in 1946, where he learned from Marcello D'Olivo and was influenced by Carlo Scarpa. In a 1950 article for Metron, Bruno Zevi highlighted Gellner's early works in Cortina, acknowledging the diverse architectural influences present. His contemporary designs drew criticism during the 1956 Winter Olympics for lacking folkloric elements. Gellner's partnership with ENI started with an AGIP motel, evolving into a model community for 6,000 residents, which included a church co-designed with Scarpa. The project concluded in 1962 following Mattei's fatal plane crash.
Key facts
- Edoardo Gellner graduated from RIUAV in 1946 at age 37.
- He studied under Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe Samonà at RIUAV.
- Bruno Zevi praised Gellner's early works in a 1950 Metron article.
- Gellner designed the ENI village at Borca di Cadore starting in 1954.
- The village was commissioned by Enrico Mattei for ENI employees.
- The project included a colony for 400 children and 200 staff.
- The church in the village was co-designed with Carlo Scarpa.
- Mattei died in a 1962 plane crash, ending the project.
Entities
Artists
- Edoardo Gellner
- Carlo Scarpa
- Giuseppe Samonà
- Marcello D'Olivo
- Gino Valle
- Angelo Masieri
- Bruno Zevi
- Alvar Aalto
- Richard Neutra
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Enrico Mattei
- Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi
Institutions
- Regio Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (RIUAV)
- Metron
- AGIP
- ENI
- Fantoni
- Il Giorno
- Artribune
Locations
- Vienna
- Austria
- Trieste
- Italy
- Venice
- Cortina d'Ampezzo
- Borca di Cadore