Established in 1954, the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award is the world's oldest and most prestigious design award. Conceived by the renowned architect and designer Gio Ponti, it was initially organized by the department store La Rinascente to highlight the value and quality of Italian design, which was then in its early stages. In 1958, the award's management was transferred to the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI), which has since ensured its organization, impartiality, and integrity.
Over more than sixty years, the Compasso d'Oro has awarded over 350 projects and bestowed nearly two thousand Honorable Mentions. These projects are housed in the Historical Collection of the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award, managed by the ADI Foundation, established in 2001. The selection process for the award is rigorous: a commission of experts, including designers, critics, historians, specialized journalists, and ADI members, analyzes and evaluates the best products of the year, which are published in the ADI Design Index yearbooks.
The Historical Collection of the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award was declared "of exceptional artistic and historical interest" by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage on April 22, 2004, and included in the national heritage.
In 2024, the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award celebrated its XVIII edition and its 70th anniversary. During the award ceremony, Luciano Galimberti, president of ADI, stated, "The future turns 70 years old." Among this year's winners are a lamp as thin as a thread, a cooktop, a modular sofa, an AI-integrated knee prosthesis, a 33-meter yacht, and a super sports Ferrari. The event was attended by the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, and the president of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana.
The 2024 ADI Compasso d'Oro Award was judged by an esteemed international jury, including Maria Cristina Didero, author and independent curator; Luciano Galimberti, designer and ADI president; Francisco Gómez Paz, designer; Renata Cristina Mazzantini, director of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome; and Toshiyuki Kita, designer and Ambassador of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. In addition to the 20 Compasso d'Oro awards, three Young Plates, eleven Career Compasso d'Oro awards, thirty-nine Honorable Mentions, and three Memorial Plates were awarded in memory of recently deceased figures who contributed significantly to design culture.
2024 Compasso d'Oro Award Winners
- Modular Sofa Costume by Stefan Diez for Magis (Home Furniture and Accessories)
- Floor Lamp Anima by Davide Groppi and Giorgio Rava for Davide Groppi (Lighting Fixtures)
- Sofa Za:Za by Zaven for Zanotta (Home Furniture and Accessories)
- Cooktop LHOV by Fabrizio Crisà for Elica (Kitchen Furniture and Accessories)
- Ceramic Coating Attitude by Daniele Martelli for Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola (Coatings)
- Table Lamp Biga by Marco Zito for Lym (Lighting Fixtures)
- Chair Farfallina by Álvaro Siza for Bottega Ghianda/Sozzi Arredamenti (Home Furniture and Accessories)
- Lighting System Figaroqua Figarolà by Paolo Rizzatto and marionanni for Viabizzuno (Lighting Fixtures)
- Museum of Art Luigi Rovati Foundation, designed by Mario Cucinella Architects (Museums)
- Ferrari Purosangue by Flavio Manzoni and Ferrari Design for Ferrari (Automobiles)
- Yacht SP110 by Zuccon International Project, Lissoni & Partners, Tilli Antonelli for Sanlorenzo (Boats)
- Outdoor Curtains MRX by Marco Acerbis for Talenti (Home Furniture and Accessories)
- Work Shoes Glove Eco by Cristian Ardissono for Diadora Utility (Work Products)
- Airplane Seats Aria by Goood for Optimares (Airplane Seating Systems)
- Bionic Suit EMSI by Flavio Augusto Gentile for REA Space (Work Products)
- Ride on Colors (Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli) by Aldo Drudi for Santa Monica (Communication Systems and Brand Identity)
- AI-Integrated Knee Prosthesis Össur Power Knee by Design Group Italia for Össur (Medical and Hospital Equipment)
- Digital Water Resource Management Platform Acea Waidy® Management System by Tangity for Area (Services)
- Autonomous Industrial Logistics Vehicle OMNIAGV by Ilario De Vincenzo for Tesar Automation (Machinery and Industrial Components)
- Interactive Facade Cellia by Progetto CMR for Gruppo Focchi (Coatings)
2024 Young Plates
- Demetra, fruit tree grafting tool by Andrea Ceschin, student at ISIA in Rome (Pordenone branch)
- Estate, table lamp by Luca Costa and Stefania Russo, students at the University of Palermo
- Lamp Laccio by Irene Ferrari, student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna
2024 Honorable Mentions
Among the thirty-nine awarded Honorable Mentions, notable mentions include:
- Shower System Groove by Odo Fioravanti for Alpi Rubinetterie
- Container Eco-Packly by Roberto Giacomucci for Fratelli Guzzini
- Chair Taco by Alessandro Stabile for La Cividina
- Sanitary Ware Nido by Simone Anzellini for Simas
- Table Lamp To-Tie by Guglielmo Poletti for Flos
- Office Furniture Principles by OMA for UniFor
- 3D Printed Construction System Crane Wasp
- Eyewear with Integrated Cam Ray-Ban Stories by Battiston and Verdelli for Luxottica
2024 Career Compasso d'Oro Awards
On the occasion of the award's 70th anniversary, special recognition was given to three long-selling products by Gio Ponti, the award's creator:
- Armchair D.154.2 (1953), now in the Molteni&C catalog
- Chair Superleggera (1957) for Cassina
- Ceramic Tile Collection Blu Ponti (1960) for Francesco De Maio
The 2024 Career Compasso d'Oro Awards were given to:
- Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture and Design and Director of Research and Development at MoMA
- Piero Lissoni, architect, designer, and art director for brands such as Alpi, B&B Italia, Boffi, Living Divani, Lema, Lualdi, Porro, and Sanlorenzo
- Paolo Rizzatto, designer and co-founder of Luceplan
- Roberto Gavazzi, president and CEO of the Boffi|DePadova group
- Tadao Ando, architect and 1995 Pritzker Prize laureate
- Umberto Cassina, former president of Alias and president of MDF Italia since 2007
- Rei Kawakubo, fashion designer and founder of Comme des Garçons
- Anna Ferrino, CEO of the sports brand Ferrino since 2008
- Francesca Planeta, president of Planeta Estate and creator of enological paths in Sicily
- Maurizio Riva, president of Riva 1920
- Roberto Ziliani, founder and CEO of the lighting brand Slamp
