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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.# i. i: Z' e# ?/ P
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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.2 v$ k) b$ k5 _5 J
, v, j5 G) X3 L3 kYou 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.: \6 H2 E, k* Z/ b7 w' ^
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.$ S' q/ W2 p: b T1 J' C
# b; O- y1 t" O5 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.4 f/ ~- i* [$ s" D) }
( g( V+ `$ k* f: P$ Q, MThe 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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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! [) J. x* _3 Z5 W9 J/ \3 w# BThe 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.5 h- t% V5 C! C3 `& b: E
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.$ m) U' I9 ~5 l# U7 a9 z
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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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: a1 Z3 Q* X/ yThe 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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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.- t! F3 L" V0 X; n
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