Laufen Swiss Architecture tour1 F8 w+ g) x9 c/ O
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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.6 m5 J& v6 Z" n2 M# D! `7 q
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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.1 Q3 ^7 I( `( j. I: a% [
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.$ h! X3 I0 Y/ ]2 d3 ?

3 }6 h3 w& f- l2 H, d, ^. WIts 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.
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+ B( R% Y$ a3 s5 W+ xThe 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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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.% x( i+ C4 l" k
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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.- n; N. |3 o$ S8 k9 ^. R
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.1 E) z# \5 T1 @ ~: s3 t

, o/ y6 U# x; A# p. ?' b" q: }/ ~+ SLaufen 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.* u0 d4 v! ^$ 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., _' q5 `0 y4 z3 D

& X w- R) n0 p) Y' U+ hThe 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.
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