ADI Design Museum – Compasso d’Oro is one of the two design museums in Milan, together with the Triennale di Milano. It was born from the renovation of a historic site from the 1930s, used both as a depot for horse-drawn trams and as an electricity distribution plant. Spread over an overall surface of 5,135 sq.m, divided into display areas for both permanent and temporary exhibitions, services (cafeteria, bookshop, meeting places), the museum conservatory and offices, the museum was conceived with the idea of renovating and enhancing the rich heritage of industrial archaeology of the city, as well as to pay tribute to the Italian creativity.

Located in the heart of Porta Nuova district, just steps from Milan’s Monumental Cemetery, the museum of ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale – Industrial Design Association) gathers a selection of works mentioned and awarded by the Compasso d’Oro (the oldest and most prestigious industrial design award in the world conceived by Gio Ponti) from 1954 to date. The collection includes 350 award-winners and numerous Honourable Mentions, from various categories such as: Design for Living, Design for Mobility, Design for Work, Design of Materials and Technological Systems, Design of Services, Design for People, Research for Business, Design for Communication, Exhibition Design, Theoretical, Historical, Critical Research and Editorial Projects, Design for the Social and Food Design.
The history of Italian (and international) society can be discovered through an accurate selection of objects, furniture, accessories, means of transport, posters, advertising or communication concepts.
The three permanent collections “Il cucchiaio e la città”, “Misurare il Mondo”, “Manifesto alla Carriera”, as well as the video installation “Il design entra nella storia” –  have been conceived to pay tribute to the Compasso d’Oro Award, as well as to serve as a point of reference for the general public, which will be able to better understand the true meaning of design, through the pieces in the collection.
While “Il cucchiaio e la città” deepens the knowledge of the Historical Collection of the Compasso d’Oro Award, “Misurare il Mondo” explains the concept of golden section through a series of images placed on four metal walls outside the museum. Throughout the works of “Manifesto alla carriera” Italian graphic designers pay tribute to the Compasso d’Oro Masters.
The museum’s spaces host 8 contemporary in-depth exhibitions closely linked to the collection, as well as an innovative format for proposing in-depth topics, conferences, workshops for young people and events for the general public, with the aim of contributing to the spread and enhancement of design culture on a national and international level.
Visitors can access the Museum from the garden square recently opened to the public, named after the Compasso d’Oro Award. Tickets for the museum can be purchased on a dedicated app or online on the museum’s official website.

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