Dutch designer Marjan van Aubel recently unveiled a set of ecologically crafted “Foam China” and a “Foam Cabinet” at Milan Design Week. Each piece is composed of an open-cell porcelain that looks and behaves very similar to polystyrene foam but without the chemical-ridden health hazards and environmental impact.
Because porcelain is made from a combination of natural materials, it is considered eco-friendly and fine for human health. Porcelain is also very strong and is longer lasting than many other types of dishware. Marjan van Aubel‘s finished “foam” china is light-weight, ready for glazing, and encompasses a unique viscous quality.
Van Aubel also designed a Foam Cabinet to store his Foam China that is made out of the same open-cell porcelain. The designer’s choice of material gives the pieces an unfinished quality, which transforms preconceived flaws to into marks of prestige.
+ Marjan van Aubel
+ Milan Design Week
FWIW, these are actually closed-cell foams. An example of an open-cell foam is a kitchen sponge; an open-cell ceramic wouldn’t work very well as a soup bowl.
sooo.. I’m curious about the insulation properties of this material. Beer cooler!?