13 Golden Compass awards have been bestowed in Milan during the official award ceremony held on June 14, within the event of the 10 days of the ADI Golden Compass - lasting until the 24th of the month and exhibiting 237 design products in Palazzo Isimbardi and thematic conferences “DI, the Jury of design” and “Thinking and action”.
Besides the prestigious awards, there are 56 Honorable Mentions, 3 awards and 9 certificates for the Targa Giovani (Young Plaque), 12 Golden Compass for Lifetime Achievement, including 9 bestowed to Italian designers and entrepreneurs and 3 to international designers.
The award, established in 1954, is still one of the best way for Italia companies to introduce themselves into the international market. By this edition, the Golden Compass will also become biennial, alternating with the international (biennial too) edition of the ADI Golden Compass International Award.
The international jury including experts of the sector such as Cinzia Anguissola d’Altoè Scacchetti, Gabriella Bottini, Walter Maria de Silva, Toshiyuki Kita, Mugendi K. M’Rithaa, Marc Sadler, Yossef Schvetz, judged and awarded products considering creativity, originality , technique and harmony. Beside these values, as stated in the report, the jury stressed the importance of aspects that usually are not considered so much such as “ the attention to vulnerable categories and the explosive power of the development of design culture in the countries facing financial difficulties”.
Among the design award-winning products should be mentioned: for the Design for living category, 5mm, the ultra-thin faucet designed by Giampiero Castagnoli, Marco Fagioli, Emanuel Gargano for Rubinetterie3M, followed by Ascent, the lamp designed by Daniel Rybakken for Luceplan and the OK lamp, designed by Konstantin Grcic for Flos; for the Design for work category, the FlaP system, designed by Alberto Meda for Caimi Brevetti and Vela, the chair designed by Lievore Altherr Molina for Tecno.
The best honorable mentions assigned are: the surface Type-32 Slimtech 5 Plus by Diego Grandi for Lea Ceramiche (Panariagroup); Brick, the plan built with teak tiles, designed by Gordon Guillaumier for Roda; the ceramic surface Florim Magnum Oversize by Florim Ceramiche; Closer, the shower head Zucchetti, designed by Diego Grandi; Fenix NTM by Arpa Industriale.
The winners of the Lifetime Achievement awards are: Carlo Bartoli, among other things creator of the 4875 chair, the first in the world made in polypropylene, for Kartell; Luciano Benetton, for its contribution to the construction of the Made in Italy; Ugo La Pietra, for the passionate experimental activity carried out; Fabio Lenci, as with his stylistic research he rewrote paradigms of the bathroom, Antonio Macchi Cassia, since '70 owner of the design studio with the same name in Milan; Ezio Manzini, whose recent efforts have focused on social innovation; Franco Moschini, President of Poltrona Frau; Pietro Pezzetta, creative director of the Electrolux Group; Rodrigo Rodriguez, President of Material Connexion Italy; Makio Hasuike, founder of MH WAY brand; James Dyson, inventor of cyclonic technology and founder of the technology company with the same name; Ron Arad, designer, architect and artist, a member of the Royal Academy of Art in London.
