Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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, z2 J: t" o7 b! uDezeen 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." s5 Y4 c: `5 N1 `* J6 @+ r. |
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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.
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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.4 o/ K6 G* T, b% Q# G6 W
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.3 Y2 c8 W7 `1 k2 k+ f
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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.& w$ | C& m" ~' j1 D
0 D2 ]% L( E* y( E2 g' YThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.% y9 w6 ~- Y& B
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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.8 w( k n; \& ]/ @& i- X; {
7 w+ R: s7 Q( ? \# l2 o0 H0 ]The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. ~ K1 g7 ~% {+ T8 k
$ `) r9 ~( q" P* ]& \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 W5 T, F2 o1 R/ L# f N
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The 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.8 p' [3 p! p+ `# o/ _ o2 J
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