Agorà by iGuzzini, the architectural floodlight designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, has been awarded with the Compasso d’Oro International in recognition of its exemplary embodiment of the values underlying the theme ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives,’ selected for Expo 2025 Osaka.
The award ceremony was held today, 5 September 2025, at the Italy Pavilion of Expo 2025 Osaka, designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, in the presence of Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions), and Mario Vattani, General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka.
The jury reviewed approximately 250 finalist products and, based on criteria of excellence, selected 20 projects deemed worthy of receiving this significant recognition. The award was presented in an exceptional setting to celebrate globally the most prestigious Italian design award.
The international edition of the Compasso d’Oro has a thematic flair and is dedicated to a specific and significant aspect of global design. Organized this year in collaboration with the General Commissioner for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, it adopted the same theme as the exhibition ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’ and was open to designers and companies from around the world.
Conceived for outdoor installation, Agorà offers a wide and comprehensive range with numerous possibilities for light distributions, optics, color temperatures, power levels, and combinations: a single, highly flexible solution with minimal visual and environmental impact. Designed to withstand weather conditions, it ensures high performance in all conditions of use and geographical areas worldwide. A comprehensive, professional, and reliable product, Agorà embodies iGuzzini’s capabilities and represents the company’s ability to deliver high-quality solutions, cutting-edge technologies, and in-house developed optics to address complex projects on a global scale.
The design by Jean-Michel Wilmotte was developed with meticulous attention to both aesthetic and functional details, with a focus on versatility of application. The circular form minimizes bulk, combining solids and voids to give volume solely to function and to integrate seamlessly into the architecture.
Suitable for all types of installation (pole-mounted, bracket-mounted, or surface-mounted), its multiple floodlight combinations allow the light output to be adapted to every requirement, directing illumination precisely where and how it is needed.
Cristiano Venturini, CEO of iGuzzini, commented after flying to Osaka specifically to receive the prestigious award:"We should be truly proud to have been selected and deemed deserving of this prestigious award, a symbol of the finest Made in Italy. This recognition adds to the two Compasso d’Oro previously received by iGuzzini for its products and reaffirms our ongoing commitment to social innovation through light. As its name suggests, Agorà is a project created with the aim of bringing life back to cities, with people marking their rhythms and spaces. It’s a light designed to promote interaction, well-being and safety in public spaces. Fully consistent with the theme of Expo 2025, our work is based on the strong idea: to accompany everyday life with a gentle light that, thanks to cutting-edge technologies, ensures visual comfort and minimal energy impact. Winning this special edition of the Compasso d’Oro highlights the company’s international vocation and its belief that good design speaks a universal language and conveys values that resonate across different fields."
The objects awarded the Compasso d’Oro International become part of the ADI Compasso d’Oro Collection, which on 22 April 2004 was declared of ‘exceptional artistic and historical interest’ by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and consequently became part of the national heritage.
In its history, iGuzzini has already won two Compasso d’Oro awards: with Shuttle (design Bruno Gecchelin) in 1989, and with Nuvola (design Renzo Piano Design Workshop) in 1998.