Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 2 J- X$ M* p, H0 H- J- h$ D# I 6 Q; ^* m4 w  z% t6 DDezeen 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. 6 G1 p# d4 l# c" B[/url] & o3 s5 }9 T% v* a+ zThe 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. ! g& g& ~8 V! H) f& oYou 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. * n/ x# V; j2 ~, B/ J  pThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 0 F, R6 ]2 u; ^6 X, [# N4 d % r$ T- p& t  r, e" lIts 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. ; C6 n( g% x7 V( }6 {2 m( D4 eThe 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. / M% Y+ |. ~7 Y- j 6 Z+ M; t* ~4 e- qThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 9 f7 f& w) N+ X+ q6 v" @2 @ / X3 O: V( f8 U3 R% MThe 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. 2 j/ G; U7 H$ k2 I8 B% W7 jThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. ! E! e; B# j% j& D1 @. S% {# k' s # ]  d. H* G7 P( S; YLaufen 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. 7 _; z0 K4 A' W4 A5 X8 p- i 8 o" ~  J2 V3 m! `8 `& r, V( I! xThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. ; I  L0 D5 P5 @[Search:DCION 7 L3 n0 v+ F& z5 `; x

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