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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.$ V' o* G1 c% o% ?
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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.4 O* i8 \7 r& N) |
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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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.! ~& e/ t+ T! K+ x: G+ }) c, u/ I
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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.: d: i P2 h4 Y7 ~3 h2 ~
0 K' i$ C. R* t2 J7 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.
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4 W0 n7 W% n8 w0 E4 ~& O/ GThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.+ c' A2 k$ }# N9 l# d0 ^4 v" t) Y" w
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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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; ?; I. J9 Z9 p$ h3 rLaufen 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.8 [1 y: `0 e2 X
8 e0 k& O) f! t, j- EThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.; G; T7 w0 P% [- @+ ~6 ~8 `. W9 i" w
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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.! r2 l- w5 A+ S9 J) N4 T0 T
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