Sponge is the name of the collection of flowerpots designed by Italian architect and designer Moreno Ratti to explore an unconventional use of marble: in particular, the project investigates how the mineral salts within travertine marble can help nourish plants as they are absorbed through the water.
The designer has created three variously sized pots, ranging in diameter from 10 cm to 22 cm, and each piece comprises two elements, the glass bottom and the marble top: the marble acts to absorb the water in the glass pot below, just like a sponge, and the mineral salts present within the holes of the stone are then transported by the water up into the soil and the roots of the plant, allowing the flower to live.
The design is simple and dominated by the texture of the marble, whose solidity is balanced with the use of transparent glass: the result is an original interpretation of a noble material, perfectly integrated with natural rhythms.
