Laufen Swiss Architecture tour) x! t4 O$ ~6 u+ D1 L
" [ b8 K4 Z, }- n' B * s8 n7 a5 W5 {) c, I2 _
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.3 W" U; C+ P$ C5 N% V, V z g! I
+ ^6 b9 G# C# `- Z) B, @9 j( D
[/url]1 T' Q* y+ o% P! N1 K1 B4 E- l
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.
7 m1 p$ ^9 j- F: m. a2 m% h 6 O. r4 a7 c }3 R
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./ `! A( s/ |& t5 j# t- Z8 E, X
 6 I& ^5 j) ^8 N9 m
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre." b) h3 P4 H- Y1 i! G" V
) u" v- M9 ]& v3 |" y9 wIts 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.
- {: S2 o2 Z% l+ { ) c2 l- V. u+ w/ F
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.
: z/ h0 w; D8 c# c# U8 |' a
7 t& n/ u \( t4 y7 K) h6 pThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
4 X. u _4 F4 Q( r4 b A2 f # ^& F3 y4 y8 K9 I) u& C
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.
- D3 r8 P& N$ v# ? / O2 M6 R! O& E. L( h, D2 p* p. f
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
8 a ^. o/ F8 n1 b G2 A! A ' {3 q, Q: p3 ]( T6 Y1 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.
2 g3 N/ U1 n, a# O0 Y0 {5 q) I
3 W3 h3 }/ E: UThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
8 t0 z$ n; f! C( o ' c4 P. p1 W1 h( R
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.
) Y6 r1 b9 p( W7 z; g* D: c[Search:DCION' z/ ~, G; U! F* U
2 h. P# _+ p7 z; K; D9 r4 x
* G' \. P G- }6 v, q" s9 n3 `
. g1 Z# P- Y n, b |
9 z+ n' Y) ^% |* P* {
! R; h+ G$ f" T! Z/ ~: D1 C |
我喜欢的