Athens, Greece
The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies proudly announce that Alberto Alessi, president of Alessi SpA and one of the most influential figures in contemporary design, has been awarded the 2025 American Prize for Design.
In celebration of this honor, the exhibition “From Every day to Extraordinary: The Alessi Revolution” will be officially presented during The City and the World: Athens Symposium, running from September 19 to October 5, 2025, at The European Centre–Contemporary Space Athens, 74 Mitropoleos Street, Athens, Greece.
For more than five decades, Alberto Alessi has transformed the family-founded company into a global leader in innovative design. Known as the “Factory of Italian Design,” Alessi has collaborated with over 900 world-renowned designers and architects, including Ettore Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, Philippe Starck, Michael Graves, Zaha Hadid, and Patricia Urquiola. Their creations—often whimsical, always groundbreaking—have redefined everyday objects such as citrus squeezers, teakettles, and espresso makers into works of functional art.
Founded in 1921 by Giovanni Alessi, the company has grown under Alberto’s leadership into an international design powerhouse, celebrated for its bold experiments, multi-sensorial approach, and poetic interpretation of industrial craftsmanship. From its early metal kitchenware to its iconic postmodern creations and its latest explorations in sustainable design, Alessi has consistently blurred the boundaries between utility and art, tradition and innovation.
“Design is a creative discipline with an artistic and poetic matrix,” remarks Alberto Alessi. “It serves to bring transcendence into our consumer society, to distinguish between function and emotion, to provoke surprise, and to move with the beauty of our objects.”
The American Prize for Design, presented in conjunction with the historic GOOD DESIGN® program, is the United States’ highest design honor. It recognizes individuals whose work embodies design excellence, innovation, and contributions to humanity. Previous laureates include Sir Norman Foster, Chris Bangle, Karim Rashid, Paolo Pininfarina, and Mercedes-Benz’s Gorden Wagener.
This year’s recognition of Alberto Alessi is both a tribute to his lifelong contribution to design and to the enduring cultural significance of Alessi’s creations, which continue to inspire joy, surprise, and beauty in homes across the globe.
The Alessi exhibition in Athens will showcase iconic and newly unveiled works from the company’s remarkable archive, celebrating over a century of innovation and its ongoing vision for the future.
About Alessi
Founded in 1921 in Omegna, Italy, Alessi is an internationally renowned design company recognized for transforming everyday objects into extraordinary works of design. With over 900 collaborations across art, architecture, and design, Alessi continues to bridge creativity and industry, producing tableware, kitchenware, furniture, lighting, and accessories that define the essence of GOOD DESIGN®.
Organized by: Chicago Athenaeum: Museum Architecture and Design
European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies
Global Design News
We are excited to announce The City and The World: Athens Symposium and the associated events, scheduled to take place in September in Athens, Greece.
Join us on Friday September 19, at the European Centre-Contemporary Space Athens exhibitions reception in Athens to take part in the combined expositions that exhibit the best examples of international architecture and the most outstanding designs and sustainability products of Alessi. The duration of exhibitions will be from September 12 to October 5 with free entrance for the public.
The City and The World: Athens Symposium presents:
The opening reception of the architectural exhibitions:
Friday, 19 September 2025, 18:00–21:00.
-Exhibition of the 2025 International Architecture Awards and Honourable Mentions.
-Exhibition for the Laureate of the 2025 American Prize for Design, entitled:
“From Every day to Extraordinary: The Alessi Revolution”.
-The 2025 European Prize for Architecture exhibition will feature the Laureates:
Suad Amiry, RIWAQ and Patrik Schumacher of Zaha Hadid Architects.
INFORMATION ABOUT EXHIBITION:
Reception of Exhibition: Friday 19 September, 18.00-21.00.
Duration: Friday 19 September – Sunday 5 October 2025.
Days & Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 12.00-19.00.
Venue: The European Centre-Contemporary Space Athens, 74 Mitropoleos Street, Athens, Greece.
Information: +30 210 342 8511, +30 210 3255277, email: konstadina@europeanarch.eu
