DESIGN RE-ACTION. Da Officina Elettrica a Museo del Design: il nuovo polo culturale della collezione ADI - Compasso d’Oro a Milano.

This paper analyses the regeneration process of an urban complex in Milan that now houses a museum dedicated to industrial design. The space, subject to progressive transformations in use—from a horse-drawn omnibus depot to an Edison power plant—represents an emblematic example of an urban palimpsest intertwining two centuries of productive and cultural history. After a long period of neglect in the late 20th century, the area was reclaimed through a museum project that enhances the large industrial spans by hosting the permanent collection of the Compasso d'Oro, the oldest international design award, which saw its “cradle” in industry. Through research conducted on unpublished archival sources, the study investigates strategies for repurposing abandoned production spaces and their conversion into places of design culture. This project reveals principles that are useful for understanding the role that contemporary museography can play in restoring meaning and function to former industrial contexts, helping to redefine the relationship between the memory of work and cultural production.