Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 9 u3 I; V6 U+ ^; H7 [3 j  N: c . }, ^5 O9 `4 Q9 i) r ) t; m8 M' u" b4 ]5 xDezeen 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] 5 D/ T* u* j( K# J0 }7 Z2 C9 gThe 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. 3 z: H4 R7 p3 N8 ?/ L " {! u7 G, X( s  ~; [- U* @3 m+ Y/ UYou 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. * s# y" v! G" L3 U The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. & w0 x% ]/ V  Q, `5 G% j- ZIts 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. + E0 b* F7 q' b" m- J 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. ) L7 _3 A' z9 C: `. Y; F' I7 VThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. . U9 Z4 i$ p' o9 f2 q, J0 y* T 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. + u8 F8 A, W& m0 X' aThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.   c1 J4 g# z  w. O* ]2 G2 e1 b 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. The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ! Y6 j* G  C; I. w1 H/ `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. " a& b2 m+ e8 `) L) K% X- N[Search:DCION ! p9 ~; _6 O1 a+ n& Q& e0 p

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