Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.) B' ] b2 S# T/ `) Y
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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./ e" c; @) K9 @
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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.8 H4 q% k3 e) x" T" m5 ?
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.8 u/ s4 w( m6 W7 ~+ x
. w% S' q9 ?5 U' S1 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.
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- a6 o; s& @7 U8 SThe 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.7 c) h2 } R# N# g0 d! t
1 A5 j' a& @0 E* `# @ L n4 N( IThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.! r& f8 Y4 b! L2 s2 U3 B' ^1 }
$ Z2 }% F+ s/ ^, L4 WThe 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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.
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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.5 U; J. x; j- b* G* z7 B( X Q
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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.& ]# w* v/ D( g% `. Y3 Q% m
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