Laufen Swiss Architecture tour% b& P. g1 E, @- } {
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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.
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8 l6 B2 Y! ~4 Y2 }8 {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.0 ?% h3 L6 N2 t# ^2 m; ]! U- }: _
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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.+ Z; q1 o! F& K3 r( l- u* x5 \
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.1 ]" Q. D0 O( ^
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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.
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. Q' L* Y' K3 F$ j3 ]/ P: TThe 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.* i/ `$ F7 P2 R, W
2 T R2 g# K& B5 M# U! rThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.8 B1 k8 T5 a9 P2 x. 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.
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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.! A7 A& w5 [' {
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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.' @* t Y! c$ p0 E. \* f
- k, ~: h, F" G# |7 s5 CThe 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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