Compasso d'Oro

Updated on Oct 22, 2023

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Compasso d'Oro ([komˈpasso ˈdɔːro]; Golden Compass) is the name of an Industrial Design award originated in Italy in 1954 by the La Rinascente company from an original idea of Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli. From 1964 it has been hosted exclusively by Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (ADI). It is the first and most recognized award in its field. The prize aims to acknowledge and promote quality in the field of industrial designs made in Italy and is awarded by ADI.

History

The Castiglioni brothers contributed to establish the ADI and the Compasso d’Oro awards. Enzo Mari was president of the ADI from 1976 to 1979. It was the first award of its kind in Europe and soon took on an international dimension and relevance, multiplying the occasions on which the exhibitions of award-winning objects were held in Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan.

The Compasso d′Oro, the oldest industrial design award of Europe and one of the greatest honors of industrial design in the world, had its headquarters set in Hengfeng Creative Square in Ningbo on May 18. From then on, the election of the Compasso d′Oro in the Greater China Group will be made in Ningbo, the only base for the Group.

The Compasso d′Oro was set up in 1954, and now it is the highest honor in the industrial designing circle in Italy, as famous as the first grade international awards like the Red Dot Award. In 2004, the Cultural Heritage Department of Italy issued a law that the winners of the Compasso d'Oro are "national heritage". Over the past 50 years, about 300 designs have been honored by the Award, covering such products as a racing bike, portable sewing machine, desk, sofa, vase, clothes hanger, drawer, clock, desk lamp, telephone, electric fan and coffee machine.

At present the management department of the Compasso d'Oro is Italy Industrial Designing Association, and it is also the members of the International Industrial Designing Committee and the European Designing Bureau. According to the agreement signed with Hengfeng Creative Square, the Association will set up the "Chinese Designing Center of Italy Industrial Designing Association" in Hengfeng Creative Square, as its only headquarters in China. It promises to promote the development of industrial design of Ningbo.