Client

Libaldi


Project

Marbestos


Problem

Once called the “magic mineral” asbestos was strong, fire-resistant and cheap. Later it turned out to also be deadly. Asbestos is still being produced today and will continue to be for a long time. Future generations need to know about its dangers.


Solution
Marbestos - a furniture collection made from heat treated asbestos ceramic. Inspired by the shape of corrugated asbestos roof tiles, Marbestos is made by heating chrysotile asbestos to 800 °C till its structure becomes human safe. The pieces in the collection look like they were made from marble which questions - Would marble be as beautiful if it was poisonous?


2022

This project started with the aspiration to use toxic waste as a material for homeware.

At first the idea was to encapsulate asbestos sheets in bioplastic - the same way it is done with roof tiles, but that wouldn’t be safe for the people making the pieces and for the people using them at their homes.

Chrysotile (the most common type of asbestos) exposed to 800°C heat loses its fibrous structure and turns into a powder that can be used in ceramics, making it human safe.

Corrugated asbestos roof tiles usually contain 10-15% of white asbestos (chrysotile) fibres.

A furniture collection telling the story of asbestos

Architecture & Innovation

Death & banning

Compassion & beauty

to find love,

belonging,

understanding

and peace.

in products or in life.

write to me.

povilas@grigas.co