Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 3 C, a( p  C4 V/ I 4 i0 e: c: A. k- [3 I- u # X+ L* e' U( s) l0 z6 W% cDezeen 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. . Q3 F  E  e: f2 A' n  l / H7 Y+ c8 W1 W" `[/url] 1 M3 ?8 M/ ]/ ^. ~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. / f4 c2 a6 ]0 r 4 K/ B$ V3 z" L; T+ ~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. " u5 w* }' y5 ~9 aThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. % ?& y+ j4 ]1 I; h' w* J1 Z   l4 E9 R8 t" e0 e  S" UIts 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. 9 y; b" I7 D6 S1 H, e3 C! QThe 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. 1 s: W. L4 E0 u1 h7 M7 IThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 7 H8 b( j& c9 _  w6 p( B* X 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. , D# g$ ?1 ]& ]# b3 w The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 6 I# K0 w4 ^, W. o9 n 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. 1 {5 g2 O+ I, p# K* d2 e% |The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 3 i" z) T. m5 ?9 c4 AThe 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. * Z" W7 R6 R/ p+ _, n' S/ ^[Search:DCION ( g4 b& K! y8 L+ H( m

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