5 - MONOLITE - Suspended Gravity (Marco Bettucci and Daniela Vitale)

by Marco Bettucci and Daniela Vitale

The Monolite project was created with the aim of enhancing stone waste from marble quarrying activities in Minucciano, a region known for its long-standing tradition in stone craftsmanship. Although marble extraction represents a key economic resource, it also has a significant environmental impact: landscape alteration, water pollution, and the generation of vast amounts of waste in the form of stone fragments (cocciame) and processing sludge. These materials are often abandoned in spoil heaps (ravaneti) – accumulation areas for such debris – which pose both ecological and landscape-related challenges. Monolite proposes an innovative and sustainable solution for reusing these materials, transforming them into resources for design.

The core idea of the project is to create a modular and adaptable system, where raw marble fragments are combined with steel structures to create furniture pieces with strong aesthetic and functional value. At the heart of the system is an expansion anchor, which allows the metallic tubes – shaped according to their function – to be attached to the stone without the need for invasive drilling. This solution respects the natural form of the marble, preserving its material authenticity and minimizing production waste. The design achieves a balance between raw matter and structural precision, with each piece being unique and adapted to the specific characteristics of the marble fragment used.

The circular design approach adopted in Monolite is inspired by sustainability principles, reducing reliance on new raw material extraction and promoting the reuse of existing resources. Moreover, the combination of the marble's visual and material weight with the structural lightness of steel creates an intriguing aesthetic contrast, making each piece an icon of the fusion between tradition and innovation. The project fits within the broader landscape of sustainable design, demonstrating how the responsible management of waste materials can lead to the creation of products with both high functional and symbolic value.

Monolite is an exploration of new expressive languages, in which abandoned marble from the spoil heaps is transformed into a design element with a distinct sculptural identity. The result is a collection of objects with a character that is both primitive and contemporary, capable of interacting with the surrounding environment and offering a second life to a valuable material too often destined to be forgotten.