Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; R4 G; d$ X" \( K) A# J1 o, U
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R+ |5 ~2 B% B1 `( @* 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.
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- n& L# Q* s3 K" n' IThe 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.+ w7 p/ S/ v7 M; _7 F' G! N4 T
$ b! p% a% b( Q+ z' ~0 L' w/ {/ ]" dYou 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.: K& o6 e' F6 T5 P' x3 _: r3 f
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.0 S. |5 w1 _/ A* w
1 T" n( Z3 D6 \+ r- Q5 A- 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.. L" |- N+ S7 c1 k+ z
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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) Q y& c3 o9 x
6 D2 @" ?+ _- D. jThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.! ^+ G: Y7 F, D q
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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.3 |- a% d" `+ o/ @
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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3 c% r# m+ w0 m+ y1 WLaufen 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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. f, y- s; I+ C5 C+ m& VThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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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.9 U' }' @' i# z2 f' a8 w
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