Laufen Swiss Architecture tour - c% Q9 N" h: \+ T# ?2 w , B. T4 _* y& U* j; yDezeen 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. [/url] 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. 2 z/ u" Q# X; w1 F   ~4 g, z$ W* h# }4 R4 VYou 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. ) ]* _# {  I: X$ o. A The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 2 ^! X! p  ~% _! t5 j3 ^ 3 q0 x; f+ C& Q/ \' W  J) zIts 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. " ~' v( ]4 r9 X+ t : G* b6 S" C4 e6 D/ g2 ^( ]& RThe 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. : ]* q8 E: S2 H+ W ! T7 q! P1 w" @1 S5 l$ ]The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 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. 0 L% b5 N$ ~$ ~- Q+ u, z The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. Laufen 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.   C1 m. g/ W3 e$ @3 s/ F  B( o * R  G) ~9 C+ O  PThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. % u  @  G; {4 _  N 2 r- K: E( }! I( K( N: a3 C6 `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. [Search:DCION 8 f4 w) Y" T$ i. q , ?, ~2 |# ^2 ^1 S2 u8 r * g+ y! [. L% p7 a7 [; @$ D

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