About
Who we are
Inaugurated in 2021, the museum houses the Historical Collection of the Compasso d’Oro Award, showcased in the permanent exhibition “The Spoon and the City”, which serves as the core of the entire museum experience.
Surrounding the permanent exhibition is a broad and dynamic narrative, extended through a rich program of temporary exhibitions and cross-disciplinary events dedicated to contemporary design and creativity in all its forms.
The layout is conceived to be open and interconnected: the temporary exhibitions are not isolated from the historical collection but share its spaces and continue its narrative, engaging in a continuous dialogue.
The museum is located in a 1930s building that was originally used as a horse-drawn tram depot, later converted into an electric power distribution station. The restoration project transformed the space while preserving its memory and enhancing its identity through an intervention that blends architecture, design, and industrial archaeology.
Today, the museum is organized into spaces for permanent and temporary exhibitions, accompanied by visitor services such as a café, bookshop, event and meeting areas, as well as offices and conservation facilities.
The entrance is through Piazza Compasso d’Oro, an urban space named after the Award itself. An open pedestrian gallery connects the museum to Via Bramante and the Chinatown district, helping to redefine the cultural identity of the area and establish a new urban axis dedicated to design in the heart of Milan.
