Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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p* s! q, K$ A0 D% _% dDezeen 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.' O- m0 s" w5 G% x0 \
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$ ~; ^$ W9 G9 B- sThe 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.7 o9 K2 `+ E+ P
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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., e, L" M# H1 o. V
8 n. n/ ^$ {1 U% y' e2 u' Y! ^( ^5 fThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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6 E" T" I7 l+ O7 ?& UIts 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.0 [! r# E \0 E! F; c
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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.* F/ u6 ]3 W5 u& c2 _( E
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.2 M) p3 k$ [6 F4 `& U/ a" U
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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.
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0 A' q1 { b' N) V6 ?The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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k) ^% m' d- j$ nLaufen 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 W% h/ Y+ |/ P, C; t
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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.3 q! j8 K& N: v4 N) `
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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.# N* y, l( ]) A+ P
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