Less than one month left to submit the application to Compasso d’Oro, the World’s Most Historic Design Award, Calls for Global Talent. Until April 24, 2025, designers and companies have time to submit their projects and earn the recognition that could transform their careers.
Founded in 1954 from an idea by Gio Ponti, the Compasso d’Oro is the world’s oldest design award. Since 1958, it has been curated by ADI, which also oversees the Historical Collection, officially recognized as part of the Italian national heritage for its cultural and artistic value.
Since 2014, the Compasso d’Oro International has opened this tradition to the global design community, focusing on evolving themes and emerging challenges. Over the years, some outdoor design products have also received the prestigious award. A recent example is MrX, designed by Marco Acerbis for Talenti. It is an innovative shading system that stands out for its ability to transform, offering a large shaded area. An aesthetic and architectural solution that impressed the ADI Permanent Design Observatory, which awarded it a Compasso d'Oro in 2024.
MrX is an innovative, sophisticated, and functional piece of furniture capable of shading outdoor spaces without being cumbersome, offering a true "en plein air" experience.
When closed, it is not easy to interpret its function; like an enigma, it is gradually revealed thanks to its compass-like opening mechanism, which allows the tent to extend and provide ample and pleasant shade. With just a few simple gestures, it creates a tailor-made relaxation oasis.
Unique in its kind, MrX represents a real breakthrough in the world of shading systems, transforming them into dynamic design objects.
Unique in its kind, MrX represents a real breakthrough in the world of shading systems, transforming them into dynamic design objects.
Made of extruded aluminum and available in different color variations, its structure perfectly adapts to any setting, providing a comfortable shelter during hot summer days.
During the XVIII Compasso d'Oro award ceremony, designer Marco Acerbis emphasized:
"MrX is a completely innovative concept of space and product, where existing technologies have been pushed to their full potential to create a new concept of an outdoor tent, where user interaction magically transforms a two-dimensional portal into a three-dimensional space."
Awarded in 2011, Teak Table, designed by Alberto Meda for Alias, is a folding table characterized by a lightweight structure, specifically designed for outdoor use. It features a painted die-cast aluminum frame and a top made of thermally treated ash slats or natural teak, composed of finger-jointed slats. The table is FSC®-certified in its thermally treated ash version.
It is part of the TECH WOOD collection, which reflects the material and formal essence of the Setes bench, the winner of the "A Bench for Milan" competition in 2005. Made with teak or thermally treated ash slats on a die-cast aluminum frame, the TECH WOOD collection pieces are durable over time and pleasant to the touch. Ideal for open spaces, terraces, and gardens, the products in this collection add solidity and meticulous attention to detail to the outdoor landscape.
Compasso d’Oro ADI 2014, Bitta is an outdoor LED lamp that reinterprets a traditional and iconic object—the nautical mooring bollard—in a contemporary and innovative way. Designed by Enzo Berti for Torremato – Il Fanale Group, it features an intuitive and linear design that enhances the materiality of the collection.
The downward-emitted light beam symbolizes careful research aimed at environmental respect.
These are just a few examples that highlight how Italian design has successfully combined aesthetics and functionality in outdoor products recognized internationally.
The 2025 edition—launched in collaboration with the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka—invites projects inspired by the Expo’s theme: “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”
Participation means:
• The possibility of being selected for the Compasso d’Oro Collection
• International visibility at Expo 2025 Osaka.
• Exhibition at the ADI Design Museum in Milan
For further inquiries, contact
compassodorointernational@adi-design.org
