Ceramic
Ceramic is almost as old as civilization itself, archeologists having uncovered pottery fragments dating as far back as 29,000–25,000 BCE. The hardened material, made from heating and cooling nonmetallic solids, is virtually impermeable and capable of withstanding heats of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and its durability led our early ancestors to construct entire homes of brick, adobe, and rammed earth. These days, ceramic is used for all sorts of construction and interior design products, including these innovative specimens.
The Natural Speaker / Joon&Jung / joonjung.com /
Seeking a tone plastics and composits couldn’t achieve, design firm Joon&Jung housed its speakers in ceramic and wood. The result is a softer, echoey sound emanating from an aesthetically distinctive casing.
Ceramic Clock / Vitra Inc. / vitra.com /
George Nelson built prototypes of these timepieces in the 1950s, but they weren’t actually manufactured until recently. Made of color-glazed porcelain and affixed with lacquered metal hands, they’re now available for the first time from Swiss-based Vitra.
Chimney / Viaduct / viaduct.co.uk /
The pendant lamps in this simple, rustic collection, designed by Benjamin Hubert Studio for Viaduct, are hand-thrown in a Wales pottery studio that obtains its clay locally. The pieces are fired with only an interior glaze, leaving the exterior textured.
Cassia / Duravit / duravit.us /
German firm Duravit is challenging the idea that porcelain belongs in the bathroom with the Cassia kitchen sink. The piece is made from patented DuraCeram material and comes in five colors and three sizes.
