A PEEK INTO AWARD WINNING DESIGN

The Compasso d’Oro, established in 1954, is the oldest and most prestigious award in Italian design. Created by La Rinascente and inspired by Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli, it recognises outstanding industrial products that combine function and aesthetics, celebrating both the designer and the manufacturer.

The Compasso d’Oro archive at ADI Milan isn’t just a collection of products, it’s a collection of responses. Look closely, and patterns begin to repeat: reduction over addition, clarity over complexity, and solutions that feel obvious only after they exist.

Walking through the exhibition, it became clear that the most impactful pieces weren’t necessarily the most obvious ones. These are the designs that stayed with us, not for how they look, but for how they think.

There’s a clear effort to let materials meet honestly — metal against wood, matte against polished — without trying to hide how things are put together. The intersections feel deliberate, almost like they’re the main feature rather than something to minimise. It comes across as a quiet focus on how things connect, both visually and structurally.

At first glance, these pieces feel quite different, yet they seem to share a similar kind of clarity. It feels like there’s a careful balance between what’s exposed and what’s refined, nothing seems overly done. Little details, like the sharp lighting shapes or the visible mechanics, make it feel considered without trying too hard. Overall, it comes across less like a statement and more like a series of really deliberate choices.

Placed side by side, these timeless typewriters from the iconic Italian brand Olivetti show how a design language evolves without losing its core identity. What’s interesting is how much stays consistent beneath the surface. The spacing, proportions, and overall layout feel familiar, even as details become more refined and integrated. It feels less like a complete redesign and more like a gradual updating process, where the same idea is simplified, tightened, and carried forward over time. What follows extends beyond the Compasso d’Oro archive, a broader look at the ADI Design Museum through a selection of moments and details. Alongside it sit works from BIT BY BIT by Haruka Misawa and Oluce: 80 anni di luce a Milano, each offering their own take on precision, material, and form.