Laufen Swiss Architecture tour0 P! m- L6 X: q# u. w ~
+ f7 o$ F" \$ | w* F) P! K6 S' q; c9 V1 {
Dezeen promotion: last week, Dezeen attended an architectural tour of Basel and Zurich organised by Swiss bathroom brand Laufen that included a trip to their concrete showroom designed by Nissen Wentzlaff Architects.
: m" Y8 V! d* r/ Q! ~
$ z7 v$ g/ C5 K& ]' g! g9 t[/url]% v$ N5 x H. Q& p O) ?: G
The tour featured viewings of buildings by established Swiss architects including [url=http://www.herzogdemeuron.com/]Herzog & de Meuron and new projects by upcoming practices such as EM2N, Stump & Schibili and Buchner Bründler.' j6 G* x4 [, j6 S% E( c5 T
 0 q% l: X- |* s: k# o7 I5 x
You can see photos on our Facebook page from Basel and Zurich and a podcast featuring interviews with many of the architects will appear on Dezeen soon.; o' p0 c' C3 v2 L
! S C" H9 b: W5 l! ~$ PThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.6 u! C5 G) r( P0 H. k# t; N) y
 " C2 v: s/ a2 x9 }0 c$ s# C. @3 \
Its curved exterior form was inspired by one of Laufen’s most popular product ranges and was cast from concrete in a similar way to the production of ceramics.9 y* J: G( E7 e6 j* k1 [) l
1 {- o& b: {% ]- K* b. jThe interior of the Forum is designed to encourage a flow of movement, guiding visitors through the display of products before returning them to the entrance via a sweeping staircase.
3 D7 W/ K0 K0 z3 i: W
5 d; w: G0 Z4 C4 }8 c$ u/ F* k% pThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
% f3 N0 ?/ I/ i0 T3 C 9 s1 F( t* B. a Z. u
The tour also included a visit to the production facility on the same site as the Forum and headquarters, where the company has been producing wash basins, bidets and toilets for almost 120 years.
, n9 n! c- B0 X; g9 C3 Q4 L ( R7 b1 u; g6 T% s! X
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
+ I2 \9 A# `" g q; C- Y! ?
4 W/ l0 M8 i/ KLaufen collaborates with many leading designers on its product ranges including IlBagnoAlessi One (above), designed by Stefano Giavannoni, which features a wave-like form washing over the shelving unit.
; C4 M! K' i" \! \ 5 f$ D& g$ W+ K$ u
The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
. G; B5 w# E* l8 a3 M8 i # F7 W0 n. T: B8 p5 x
The Palomba Collection (above) by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba has recently been expanded to include a double-basin version featuring asymmetric ‘fingerprints’ sunk into a 1600mm flat surface.
* [+ o# z% b% v' E# y[Search:DCION5 A, b" @; g0 O( P/ j2 _. k6 \- A
( p, w/ L& l G; B- _; d, w3 P3 g0 F& ~7 t) a9 Q
! G& n) \7 o( f) R |
( T1 l* H R, C* [9 H7 ?
% o t, q' p5 J& {* M% X3 ? |
我喜欢的