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.
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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.1 ^( k6 r% H" v, S& S
+ [2 E, H7 P2 ~1 W9 \. d# TYou 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.9 Z- x" Z6 f9 Y5 v8 W$ \! y( h
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.; ]0 I9 P7 r C
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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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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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.! @# S5 a% q$ C$ U( y; D( t" F
$ l5 x' `5 I4 @, VThe 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.3 A4 E& w. f2 k5 a9 @
0 R4 }( c% G/ HThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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& d! e h$ y# P+ d. o% gLaufen 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.3 I, {4 Q+ K) K o/ J6 H
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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.5 C S+ s& X. i9 A. O
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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.
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