China Cabinet

Marjan van Aubel is a solar designer whose work refuses to conform to the ungainly, perfunctory form of most energy-producing technology.

During an internship at the European Ceramic Work Centre, van Aubel commenced her research into china foam, a light but extremely hard porcelain. It is a surprising material that is radically more sustainable than traditional porcelain, as it is fired at just 900ºC (conventional porcelain is fired at 1260ºC). It expands to three times its size in the kiln, essentially cutting the materials needed by two-thirds. Objects made of china foam are lightweight yet extremely durable and have properties such as buoyancy and semi-translucence, giving them unique aesthetic value. Van Aubel produced a 1.8 meter-high cabinet from china foam to showcase its properties, allowing the material to expand naturally and thus creating an object of observation of its own.