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.
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4 r# r4 M; y( W6 a! A' @1 cThe 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.% n! L9 _# P, o) w
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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.
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& C. j5 m2 _ O1 s" pThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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, a& `, ?& q T: D" yIts 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.3 h# @4 k: s" j0 c# r6 C
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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.! B, n: [1 y+ V0 r" S
/ W) ?( A# q) \7 A8 q0 rThe 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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+ Z+ K$ r" ?; u. d/ ]. I8 {6 iThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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1 @, {8 S$ |! Y5 pLaufen 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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: C8 } p# {7 KThe 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.+ r# I5 n% D% ^$ o! ^+ ^ e4 l+ Y W9 I# l
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