Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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, o. G0 G8 z/ @( nDezeen 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.
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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.# x' Y9 ~' q' q3 Z5 W
3 i J8 b+ _7 C) o0 o$ MThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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3 m1 R5 |+ G2 Y/ B( aIts 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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5 h( c3 @+ ^, w$ i% b9 _6 z) [* l6 CThe 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.: ~% J0 A2 w6 n( o% l+ m0 }
7 H# R1 ]& v7 H" x' s+ FThe 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.+ _6 s( T) V1 v l" i9 h/ y; V! P9 I
0 C! U# V; A0 }1 j- ^( |$ \The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.7 L o- ^3 z8 f Z+ h, a# l, t
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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.0 `8 O# O0 R2 V; w* M5 [* E
9 \5 E* S: F6 M+ p6 p4 g4 iThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.: ]! Y$ M9 b6 @6 Y6 ]; ?8 i
+ f1 ^: a+ X# c" g- UThe 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.. Y# O* e Y) d3 [. s
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