MILANO CORTINA 2026
MEDAL DESIGN
CREATIVE DIRECTION AND STRATEGY
The brief
Embody the brand through the "Italian spirit" (young vibrant and dynamic) blending Italy’s cultural heritage with a modern, energetic feel, capturing movement, passion, innovation, and athletic dedication.
The idea
We decided to change the focus of the medal. Instead of emphasizing ornamental elements, we chose to concentrate on its meaning.
A year-long collaboration during which the teams from Milano Cortina 2026 and IPZS combined their expertise, reaching new heights.
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TEAM EFFORT
Working side by side with IPZS was essential to achieving an exceptional result.
Their craftsmanship, combined with the MICO26 creative team, demonstrated how teamwork can elevate a project; transforming a complex challenge into a medal that exceeds expectations.
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Multiple internal interdisciplinary teams were formed to explore designs. At the end, a core team was defined to finalize the concepts and to start the prototype phase.
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Together with the COMMS and events team of Milano Cortina 2026, a launch and teaser strategy was defined, culminating in the presentation event in Venice.
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Due to the complexity of the designs, IPZS had to develop new processes to solve vital parts of the medal, such as the difference in reflective surfaces and the de-centered split.
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The design explorations were validated together with IPZS (the Italian State Mint). Working closely with the Milano Cortina 2026 team, their mission was to evaluate and solve the technical feasibility of the designs.
A concept, to celebrate the power of diferences.
The design stays pure and simple — using only the essential lines to express the ideas of union and movement. The medal’s energy comes from this division, representing ongoing change. These elements are brought together by the Olympic and Paralympic values, turning contrast into unity and motion into meaning.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: MIGUEL ROLDAN | CORE TEAM: LUDOVICA LORENZELLI, ELENA PELUCCO, ANDREA MARCHI, CRISTINA CLERICI. | MILANO CORTINA 2026 GRAPHIC TEAM, MILANO CORTINA 2026 LOOK TEAM, MILANO CORTINA 2026 BRAND TEAM, IPZS ENGRAVING TEAM, IPZS METALS AND MECHANICS TEAM. THE IMAGES ARE PROPERTY OF ©MILANO CORTINA 2026. ANY TYPE OF REPRODUCTION IS FORBIDDEN.