Laufen Swiss Architecture tour$ R( G' F* z: i/ r2 A1 W T
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, a. p4 Z& d, b* r4 g* PDezeen 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.9 _" X V% z6 r
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+ E& H7 q# {" I5 @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.
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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.& H5 k! X# e* ?) Y6 t0 z) A
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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4 @* V& r7 d8 N; w1 {2 N) C- [1 Y4 MIts 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.% w) q% z. _% m% ^7 \
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The 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.) v6 r$ m( R6 s. V' G: ?
7 M8 G7 C7 k/ D1 |The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.
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3 L( g) E9 }) ~2 p+ j HThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material., B6 S4 H; g9 j7 l' v' ?! k/ x
3 h1 s: |. E5 ]2 H8 ?$ u TLaufen 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.
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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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" [% W5 V: T( z2 }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.& P; _; X0 n/ D1 R. |
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