Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.3 I) y& R0 ]& B3 Z7 a5 {1 ?8 o8 k7 K
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3 {* g" y) g* J, 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.
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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.
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' `- H/ L7 A/ a3 Z3 t- t# ?) ~. ]The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.- `" `. e1 l# B( q3 ]+ I5 z
! F! B+ w ]. u# r2 Q7 X& V3 U2 bIts 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.% S) l' G9 g8 L3 Q" Z, Z; K
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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.0 j; Z. P1 t$ b4 `# }% x6 }
8 K% g, f' ]+ z( o# \/ o7 o; UThe 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.: c* G3 y+ Q6 f$ z" L4 V( T: v
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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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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.& ?2 H* v9 S# ^3 i- U
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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., M& b2 s' }+ d6 O* R2 P
9 o! B" ^; V1 S& w6 F! GThe 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.* `5 h% G8 i4 ~ C2 B8 Z3 h0 b
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