Armillary Lectures: Stefano Passamonti—Robaldo Morozzo della Rocca. 1904-1993. Experimental Attitude.

ROBALDO MOROZZO DELLA ROCCA. 1904-1993. EXPERIMENTAL ATTITUDE.

The project consists of both a book and a cultural agenda dedicated to a critical tribute to Morozzo della Rocca’s ‘other modern movement.’ Robaldo Morozzo della Rocca (1904–1993) shaped Italy’s architectural landscape—particularly in Genoa—through times of change. Though a modern architect, he was not a modernist; his work belongs to an alternative tradition of Razionalismo. Difficult to categorize, it evolved across different styles, spanning the transition from monarchy to republic: from futurism to neoplasticism, from Fascist rhetoric to artisanal experiments with concrete. The book offers an in-depth look at both completed and unbuilt projects, illustrating the unique relationship between Genoa’s geographical context and Morozzo’s personal explorations. His work played a central role in the tensions between conservative culture and the avant-garde. Through extensive archival research, the book broadens the debate on Modernism, featuring original drawings and period photographs. Photographer Francesca Iovene captures his most significant buildings as they stand today, while redrawn plans and sections provide deeper insight into his spatial, structural, urban, and landscape innovations. More than a historical reconstruction, this monograph highlights the contemporary relevance of Morozzo della Rocca’s vision. Showcasing his most significant works—from villas and palazzi to apartment buildings and INA Casa projects—it traces the legacy of an architect ahead of his time, whose influence remains tangible today.

Stefano Passamonti (1988) grew up in central Italy, where he received an artistic education. He studied architecture at Hochschule Konstanz, Politecnico di Milano and FAU-USP São Paulo, graduating in 2014. He attended Luigi Snozzi’s Design Seminar, Porto Academy/FAUP and received a PhD from University of Genoa in 2022. After practicing as an architect in Belgium, Brazil and Italy he established the Milan-based practice Tenet. The office works on projects of various scales, through selected private commissions and competitions, with works featured in magazines such as Abitare, Area, Domus and presented at Triennale di Milano. Stefano regularly participates in academic activities and has collaborated with Accademia di San Luca, Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, Bauhaus Weimar, Domus Academy, ETH Zurich, FAUP, TU Dresden, Royal College of Art, among others. He has curated events and exhibitions at the Milan Chamber of Architects and Politecnico di Milano. His writings have been published in journals such as Architectural Review, Domus, Industria delle Costruzioni, HPA, SRSA and Stoà. He co-authored a proposal for the Piranesi Prix De Rome with Superstudio.

ABOUT THE LECTURE SERIES:
Armillary spheres are “models of the celestial globe constructed from rings and hoops representing the equator, the tropics, and other celestial circles, and able to revolve on its axis.” This lecture series wants to be a window onto the sphere of academic research, gazing at the different constellations drawn by doctoral dissertations within the horizon of architecture. The course aims at inviting researchers that already obtained a PhD to present their dissertation to an audience of doctorands, providing a diverse array of examples and case studies on approaching dissertation work within the field of architecture.