Negozi in serie nell'Italia tra le due guerre. Lagomarsino e l'architettura pubblicitaria

The Milanese firm Lagomarsino was one of the most important manufacturers of calculating, adding and accounting machines. In the early 1940s, as part of a marketing communication strategy, the company entrusted the design of its stores in Italy to Angelo Bianchetti and Cesare Pea, who had gained experience with advertising architecture. The two architects adopted a recognizable style, using plastic and graphic elements that were much more frequently used in temporary installations than in traditional store fittings. Using unpublished documents and little-known print sources, this essay discusses the Lagomarsino case, comparing its communication strategies to those employed in the stores of its renowned competitor, Olivetti. The analysis will be carried out in light of the relationship between architecture, design, art and advertisement, which characterize the new store aesthetics in Italy between the two wars.