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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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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.3 x; @, T! C# V1 R x6 F! X U
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.3 \; |2 d# Y1 \
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Its 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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2 E1 K& E% I- b yThe 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.* p E# q2 N0 m* f( ?
0 W( w, M5 |7 X3 @0 `The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.+ R3 y) y9 R# ?* T' U
& ]/ ~9 A3 a& F5 GThe 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.( I0 w- ^: b/ D$ w
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.. s/ Q" l, X7 `8 Q
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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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) Z/ J/ I* E# N* {: H3 NThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.* Z* y4 d8 f' S. t
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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.1 C3 r: ~( s! \
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