ADI Design Museum

The historic design collection of the Compasso d'Oro

ADI Design Museum by Ph. Denise ManziMuseimpresa

The Museum

The ADI Design Museum hosts one of the most important collections of Italian design projects, recognized by the Ministry of Culture as an asset of exceptional artistic and historical significance.

The spoon and the city.Museimpresa

Compasso d’Oro Award Historic Collection

The collection includes around 2,500 projects, including 379 Compasso d'Oro award winners, offering a comprehensive overview of the history of Italian design.

Compasso d'Oro AwardMuseimpresa

The Compasso d'Oro Award

Founded in 1954 from an idea by Gio Ponti and, since 1958, overseen by the Italian Association for Industrial Design (ADI), the Compasso d’Oro has evolved over the years into the highest Italian award in the field of design and one of the most prestigious internationally.

ADI Design MuseumMuseimpresa

The Permanent Exhibition

The museum is organized around the permanent exhibition "The Spoon and the City," a dynamic display that presents the Compasso d'Oro winning projects from 1954 to the present, arranged chronologically to create a temporal narrative of the awarded objects.

Electromechanical watch "Cifra 5", Gino Valle, John Myer, Michele Provinciali, Nani Valle, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Primary schools and kindergarten chairs "K 1340", Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Associazione Archivio Storico Olivetti - Olivetti "Summa 19" calculating machine, Designed by Ettore Sottsass jr. and Hans von Klier, 1969/1969, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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"Soriana" armchair, Afra Scarpa and Tobia Scarpa, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Receiving device for simultaneous translations, Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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"Doney 14" television, Marco Zanuso and Richard Sapper, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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OSA by Designer: Makio Hasuike / Producer: Merloni [Ariston]Museimpresa

Thematic Insights: DesignUP – Continuity Solutions

Alongside the chronological path, the museum also offers vertical focuses on specific projects selected for their unique value. These insights allow for a detailed exploration of the evolution of significant projects through archival documents, sketches, and prototypes.

ADI Design MuseumMuseimpresa

DesignUP – Continuity Solutions

The exhibition project highlights how the culture of design has permeated all the different stages of the country’s development. It has humanized mass production processes, enabled the rethinking of service offerings, strengthened the drive of industrial districts.

Lifetime Achievement Photography A tribute by Italian photographers to the Compasso d'Oro masters by Giovanni Chiaramonte and Michele Nastasi.Museimpresa

Compasso d'Oro Lifetime Achievement Award

A space in the museum is dedicated to lifetime achievement awards, representing a "Pantheon" of Italian design. The awardees are celebrated with posters created by contemporary renown Italian photographers, creating a visual tribute to these prominent figures.

Lifetime Achievement Photography A tribute by Italian photographers to the Compasso d'Oro masters by Giovanni Chiaramonte and Michele Nastasi.Museimpresa

Tribute to Ekuan Kenji, Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 2014, Photograph by Andrea Martiradonna, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Tribute to Rosy Vago, Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 2022, Photograph by Francesca Iovene, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Tribute to Pino Tovaglia, Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 1998, Photograph by Ballo&Ballo, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Tribute to Rossana Orlandi, Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 2022, Photograph by Danilo Scarpati, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Tribute to Brunello Cucinelli, Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 2022, Photograph by Giovanni Scotti, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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Tribute to ICE (Italian Trade Commission), Compasso d'Oro for Career Achievement 1989, Photograph by Chiara Zonca, From the collection of: Museimpresa
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ADI Design MuseumMuseimpresa

The Temporary Exhibitions

In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions focusing on contemporary design that merge with the permanent collection and provide new perspectives. These exhibitions are also showcased abroad in international tours across different countries.

ADI Design Museum by Ph. Denise ManziMuseimpresa

The museum is a tribute to Italian design, represented by the projects awarded the Compasso d’Oro, but it is also a vibrant space that embraces the future through research. A dynamic space devoted to contemporaneity, aiming to play an active role within the global museum network

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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