Torino (Italy) – One of the World Design Capital 2008 special projects, The Compasso d’Oro, completed its journey in Torino, once again visiting the atmospheric setting of Venaria, with the XXI Prize Award ceremony on June 26 in the Corte d’Onore courtyard of the Royal Palace.

Enrico Morteo presented a ceremony dedicated to the celebration of the innovation, creativity and intelligence that become design when ideas meet entrepreneurs, and become design of excellence when these “objects” move out into everyday settings, helping people to “survive”. The positive and pro-active introductory speech by Mayor Sergio Chiamparino highlighted the specific qualities of Torino World Capital of Design, but like the following speakers, including the President of the Region Mercedes Bresso, Andrea Bairati, Vice President of the Torino 2008 Organising Committee, Mario Bellini, President of the Jury, and Luisa Bocchietto, the newly-elected President of the ADI, focused attention on the quality of Italian design, without territorial conflicts and impossible comparisons between cities, recognising our country’s merits in creating unique products, whether designed by Italians or not, but made Italian by the ingeniousness that lives on in the region’s companies.


Above: Enrico Morteo, Luisa Bocchietto, Sergio Chiamparino, Mario Bellini and Carlos Hinrichsen

Ten prizes, seventy-five special mentions, six Compassi d’oro career winners and two international awards were received. Designers and entrepreneurs who came up to the stage were selected over three years by more than 150 critics and were assessed by eight international jury members, all authoritative personalities from the design world headed by the multi-prizewinner Bellini. Winners ranged from the Look of the City for the 2006 Olympics, to the MT3 rocking chair, the Nido concept car, and the Shaka yacht, and also the Neos wristwatch and even a trade fair layout, Stand Horm, in a variety of products linked to the vast spectrum of human activity.


Above: Award winning designs will enrich the collection of the Premio Compasso d’Oro ADI “L’Oro del Design Italiano”

The new section of the exhibition dedicated to the Compasso d’Oro is enriched by the highly diversified designs given prizes and awarded mentions during the evening event, adding fundamental pieces to the exhibition already on display. As evidence of the evolution of design parallel to and often forerunning lifestyles, these objects take place alongside icons of the past, many of which have become protagonists in the life of today.

The Jury

  • Mario Bellini, Architect (President), Milan
  • Chew Moh-Jin, Technologist, Singapore
  • Lieven Daenens, Director Design Museum Gent, Belgium
  • Carla Di Francesco, Director PARC, Rome
  • Carlo Forcolini, Past-president ADI, designer, Milan
  • Norbert Linke, Designer, Germany – Belgium
  • Emanuele Pirella, Author, Milan
  • Richard R. Whitaker, Architect, USA

Awards

  • BIG, shelving system, Marc Sadler, Caimi Brevetti
  • CITTÀ DI TORINO, LOOK OF THE CITY OLIMPIADI INVERNALI 2006, installation, Italo Lupi, Ico Migliore, Mara Servetto, Città di Torino (Direzione Comunicazione Promozione Turismo)
  • MT3, rocking chair, Ron Arad Associates, Driade
  • STAND HORM, stand design, Toyo Ito, Horm
  • NEOS, wristwatch, Culdesac, Lorenz
  • MIX, luminaire, Alberto Meda e Paolo Rizzatto, Luceplan
  • TRIOLI, children’s chair, Eero Aarnio, Magis
  • NIDO, concept car, Pininfarina, Pininfarina
  • R606 UNO, chair, Bartoli Design and Fauciglietti Engineering, Segis
  • SHAKA, yacht, Wally, Lazzarini Pickering Architects and Farr Yacht Design, Wally

Career Awards

  • Luigi Caccia Dominioni
  • Renato De Fusco
  • Tito D’emilio
  • Dino Gavina
  • Michele Provinciali
  • Tobia Scarpa

International Awards

  • Terence Conran
  • Miguel Milá

For more information, please visit: www.torinoworlddesigncapital.it