Stereotomy, metamorphosis and lithic innovation. A research trilogy between tradition and future

This paper provides a critical retrospective of the three-year applied research cycle (2023–2025) conducted by Giuseppe Fallacara’s research group within Marmomac Meets Academies. Structuring a methodological continuum across tradition and advanced computation, the trilogy—comprising Stereoma, Ceci n'est pas un fossile, and Metamorphosis—articulates stereotomic innovation through specific hermeneutic and tectonic frameworks. Stereoma (2023) investigates controlled lithogenesis and material circularity through a suspended vault executed in reconstituted coral breccia and recycled glass. Ceci n'est pas un fossile (2024) translates spiral ammonite geometries into folded spatial modules, validating augmented reality (HoloLens) as an operational instrument for non-standard assembly. Finally, Metamorphosis (2025) renegotiates the ontological permanence of stone, introducing disassemblable structural canopies in Alboris dolomitic marble and steel that embody circular economy and spatial reconfigurability. Together, these installations establish transferable protocols for augmented stone masonry, sustainable material reconstitution, and reversible lapidary architecture.