Laufen Swiss Architecture tour : w  Z! T' g9 W6 F0 x% K+ Q * ^6 G. o* z5 S4 }0 B; U0 S5 F/ s 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. ( f/ Z/ i) ^! l' d6 E5 m ' e" {7 I$ A- m5 W[/url] ) v0 T/ R4 X& z1 g. \8 DThe 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. + E5 J+ g# Y9 R0 B ( N! a7 i: Q( a, S4 zYou 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 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. $ y/ v: K, ^6 kThe 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* k. e- B6 u6 G+ T1 u3 U0 _& vThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ' M4 q1 y; R& V/ P" m) y 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. 0 d* c& z3 A8 V! h7 U* j1 uThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. , y. @/ S( ]7 D4 a1 {2 ?  ^1 X2 I 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. ! X& @7 y' l8 P" K( S , X3 \6 j9 D% _1 A  }$ c5 P% {The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 5 t1 T7 q* b9 U/ C 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. 9 n5 {# B. G2 e2 L( E8 {4 A[Search:DCION 6 U& A' s5 S( Q2 `; M0 R + c" G6 H* I6 K, W5 p: K, d

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