Laufen Swiss Architecture tour* a+ M4 n" m) {/ u' M: h w# I
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' X" `* q0 n) [$ o' ^) L+ A9 }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.1 S1 @' _3 {* o" M2 @% A
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' d% u8 M" y* vThe 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.* c7 f* ^( s. o6 G m$ X
. T5 g2 v9 z5 q& n: ^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.+ A% B( I* a: M6 x# ?
' z5 w) W5 I7 z* E: t6 eThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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% L- S$ v% B* q7 RIts 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." j- h% r$ \' Y
f+ J- A$ H# [( b- K) F, MThe 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.
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6 N+ M# C% j3 A% NThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.& ^( y+ W% D/ _# X
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.; Z& A5 o a7 O- ~) v
1 u7 u# p7 p2 o' 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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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.2 T2 {7 ^7 F$ o; ~5 k! m7 y
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