Cambiano, Italy
American Prize for Design laureates Pininfarina have won four new 2025 Good Design Awards from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design for four compelling and aesthetically outstanding designs for projects for furniture and lighting, transportation, as well as an advanced nuclear reactor.
Under the astute direction of Silvio Pietro Angori, CEO and Felix Kilbertus, Chief Creative Officer of Pininfarina, and Paolo Dellachà, CEO and Dave Amantea, Chief Creative Officer of Automobili Pininfarina, the brand has emblazoned new heights in the hallmark of innovative 21st-Century contemporary design.
Case in point is a new lighting product for the Austrian powerhouse lighting company Zumtobel Lighting AG.
Under the direction of Pininfarina designers Hugo Cicaré and Lorenzo Carpignano, the Tecton II Modular Lighting System takes continuous-row lighting to the next level and impresses with its intuitive design, quick tool-free installation, and energy-efficient operation—for maximum flexibility, sustainability, and quality throughout the entire product life cycle—setting new standards in efficiency and economy.
The system is modular and fully scalable, offering exceptional flexibility for a wide range of interior architecture applications. It uses high-quality LED technology, an excellent colour rendering index (CRI) and uniform light distribution to create optimum lighting conditions.
This second generation of the product is a game changer in sustainable data centre lighting.
Next comes the electric performance car, the Automobili Pininfarina Battista Targamerica designed by Dave Amantea, Francesco Cundari, Sara Campagnolo, Davide Valpreda, and Giorgio Ciravegna and manufactured by Automobili Pininfarina—the world’s first coach-built electric hypercar.
The exquisite Battista takes inspiration from the town of Cambiano and highlights the automaker’s incredible personalization options.
The design for this open-top car required a rework of the Battista’s structure. The center roof section has been removed, with a targa bar installed in place to add back some support. This adjustment meant the doors had to go frameless, giving a much sportier look.
Targamerica boasts blistering performance. With 1,900 horsepower and 1,726 lb-ft of torque, the one-off Battista can reach 62 mph in less than two seconds, before running out of steam at 186 mph.
The furniture collection MODO, designed by Pininfarina in collaboration with Brazilian Green House Móveis Ltda. offers a new vision of outdoor living and modularity and embodies a seamless balance between simplicity and refinement, elegance and functionality, comfort and technology.
MODO is a bold statement of design innovation rooted in an emotional connection with nature, blending design expertise with a contemporary look, adaptability, and durability.
The collection is inspired by fluidity, ergonomics, and simplicity, offering modular pieces that adapt seamlessly to the changing rhythms of everyday life.
The collection includes five unique offerings: modular sectional sofas, dining table and dining chair, lounge chair and coffee table, sun loungers and daybeds, bar stool and side tables.
For the design of the TL-40 Nuclear Reactor, led by Giovanni de Niederhäusern, Enrico Maggi, Giuffrida Gianni, Nicola Girotti, Giuseppe Conti, Stefano Ghiglione, Paolo Lugaro, Filip Malata, Alessandro Mimiola, and Silvia Sereno Regis, Pininfarina joined forces with newcleo and Fincantieri to develop an innovative nuclear energy project that redefines the future of clean power and sustainable design.
At the center of their collaboration is the TL-40, a liquid-lead cooled small modular reactor (SMR) developed by newcleo.
This advanced reactor represents a significant evolution in nuclear technology, offering a solution tailored to meet the urgent demands of decarbonization and energy security.
The TL-40 is designed to power large ships and energy-intensive infrastructures in a way that is safe, compact, and sustainable.
It operates using a closed fuel cycle that enables it to burn nuclear waste from conventional reactors, turning a long-standing environmental problem into a valuable energy resource.
By doing so, the TL-40 offers a practical response to two critical global challenges: the need for low-carbon energy sources and the management of nuclear waste.
One of the reactor’s most notable features is its passive safety system.
Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that rely on active safety mechanisms requiring external power or human intervention, the TL-40 leverages the physical properties of lead cooling to naturally regulate its core temperature.
This system significantly reduces the risk of accidents, making the reactor inherently safer and more robust under a wide range of conditions.
From an engineering perspective, the Pininfarina’s design for the TL-40 embodies efficiency and innovation.
Its compact design allows for flexible deployment, including marine applications and remote or industrial locations with limited infrastructure.
Fincantieri, with its decades of experience in complex naval engineering, is actively involved in adapting this reactor technology for use in ship propulsion.
This application could dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the maritime industry, one of the largest contributors to global emissions.
