The 15th edition of the SaloneSatellite Award offered a compelling portrait of a new generation of designers who are reshaping the relationship between craftsmanship and innovation with sensitivity, intelligence, and imagination. Presented during the 27th edition of SaloneSatellite under the theme “Skilled Craftsmanship + Innovation,” the award celebrated projects that move fluidly between heritage and technology, showing how contemporary design can honour traditional knowledge while embracing new methods of production. Rather than treating craftsmanship as something nostalgic or separate from innovation, the selected designers approached it as a living practice, one that can evolve through experimentation, sustainability, and digital tools. The result was a collection of works that reflected not only technical skill but also a deep respect for materials, cultural memory, and the human stories embedded in the act of making.
What connected this year’s winning projects was a shared understanding of design as a dialogue between digital precision, material exploration, and the enduring value of the human touch. Across the exhibition, technology was used not to replace artisanship but to expand its possibilities and reveal new forms of expression. From 3D-printed ceramics shaped through computational processes to hand-finished lighting made from unexpected organic materials, each project demonstrated how innovation can coexist with tactility, emotion, and tradition.
Experimental glass objects captured the delicacy of light and texture, while robotic fabrication techniques produced surfaces that still retained individuality and warmth. In doing so, the award highlighted a future in which technology becomes a creative partner to craftsmanship, opening new paths for sustainable, meaningful, and deeply human design.
The first prize was awarded to Danish studio Russo Betak for Nippon, a pendant lamp from the Ark collection. Crafted from 3D-printed seashells and finished by hand, the lamp balances fragility and structure in a strikingly poetic way. Its layered, paper-like surfaces softly filter light, creating depth and warmth while showcasing innovative material experimentation.
Second prize went to the Netherlands-based IOUS Studio for 3DP Ceramic Tiles, a ceramic cladding system produced through computationally controlled 3D printing. The project transforms digital fabrication into a new form of craftsmanship, combining machine accuracy with the tactile richness of clay and a strong focus on sustainable production.
German studio Jüngerkühn received third prize for Soft Touch, a series of porcelain vases that unite robotic precision with handcrafted sensitivity. Each vase carries unique surface patterns that reveal increasing detail upon closer observation, emphasising both individuality and material expression.
Two Special Mentions further expanded the dialogue between heritage and innovation. Chile’s Aiko Design was recognised for Númina Lamp, inspired by ancestral symbols and traditional weaving techniques using wicker and horsehair. Its stepped geometry and braided textures reinterpret cultural craftsmanship through 3D-printed PLA and chrome accents.
Meanwhile, Chinese designer Yixian Wang earned recognition for Foggy, a delicate glass vessel created by transforming soft fibreglass fabric directly into glass without resin. The result is an ethereal object whose mist-like strands capture light with remarkable softness and fragility.
The winners were selected by an international jury chaired by Paola Antonelli, alongside leading figures from architecture, journalism, design criticism, and academia. Together, the jury recognised projects that not only demonstrate technical excellence but also reflect the evolving role of design in connecting innovation with cultural and material heritage.