Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ' \8 {, O7 O$ _) N, [/ p5 Z . f; r, x; ]1 h, | $ G8 v8 }  K0 _8 NDezeen 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. [/url] - f9 f* h  L) W# W3 \" mThe 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. 8 U- C* g) U* X- B/ C 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.   u* q5 Y4 d/ }) G' g* r. wThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 7 B. S1 K  T/ w# H) rIts 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. 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. * o" s$ D9 D" [% C$ h 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. ' p" v. G8 t- B) a  J# Y The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. - x* X# M1 @! W% d & [! j) l1 u4 c  T4 x) f) s1 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. - s, a7 d# }4 P" O& v" f+ o; yThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. # q+ ]% m# X: O6 ^8 \: d4 w , t! b- }; W4 n' a% F3 i( S7 M2 `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. [Search:DCION / e3 {/ L% Z0 B0 I# v

9 m5 D, N- x. O$ ]

我喜欢的