Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ! C! G- O) O1 e . k4 o5 T& Y6 P0 q0 }- } 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. [/url] 1 q- r# K, |/ O* X& c. X( d" EThe 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. 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. 0 V' ], E: q9 i( ^: N % A/ K3 O7 b$ `: H* Y( nThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 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. 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. " M5 L/ c! e2 M9 w+ L ! S$ p4 [9 I- M8 UThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ( }# G) y* X$ X' j7 ^  pThe 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. 1 ^8 _( c- P" [0 e5 Z+ |3 { The 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 Q. N6 @% F* O' P. O4 S# J3 V " b. Q2 w$ N4 P% q% x3 YThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ) r9 A0 L* \+ i$ N3 _: x7 jThe 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 % F# ^* R  k0 g3 F- U% v- q ) _. p" s" W, \0 F* @3 Y   B2 N% ?& @4 v" O/ ?

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