Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 5 O2 M6 j% S# Z$ \+ J$ g5 f, d / C  }+ ~) D; \; @- p/ O/ ^" pDezeen 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. ; x* N+ F" [7 a" V* M 0 M' {& u3 A2 D$ @! B7 Z9 s( w[/url] 0 ~( V% \$ R* I/ x8 oThe 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. + l# s% v4 z9 L' ^) o& a- V+ G. e9 ^. 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. " c- o2 H" \. e2 x3 F# A2 g, jThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ) w2 H% D( K; O0 r 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. 8 R6 Y) Y5 P; q; Y. z0 H% k 4 q0 b$ V4 P1 M5 ]% DThe 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. - T( O; ?$ ^: C% A- Y$ D2 a# c 1 n3 C: G; Q0 q& S- I/ x5 oThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ; ?1 X& W6 a! N8 s0 ` 7 c7 ]8 c: X/ J9 KThe 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. 3 P* m/ U( e' uThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. 5 L. O3 A' U) k' Q: D 4 h' `5 {5 \( B' a0 f, K- AThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. " \+ c4 |; Z. i' `9 z 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 / s8 d& A6 y6 {2 b* H$ ?1 T5 S

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