Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; h) `1 c% i! r
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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.* u4 D5 L8 w" Y1 o0 \6 S
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; G8 o. g* z8 r. ^9 rThe 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.# t) n& }9 m- @+ D: U, r$ l& f) G; c. A
, I E7 r( J1 ^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.- F' {6 C" s2 o1 l! [, h2 ]
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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.5 t" N, x H# g- _1 f' h
0 U/ S, i+ L/ p0 R* _6 e% \8 VThe 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.! O, B+ I: R7 q8 ~4 {
! a; ?! h: F2 P# a4 K: `% {The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.+ C, l! I2 c& `, r/ W
7 y- |2 u% e& _& k4 f5 \2 UThe 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.* q ^- T% p& _; F
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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.
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$ I9 R1 {! W: B! ~4 AThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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% Z9 m" F8 A; y2 O. PThe 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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