Laufen Swiss Architecture tour. j5 @, j" O7 |% d; n+ z3 J* ^( p
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3 r; l9 {: G0 P- Z0 e" VDezeen 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.0 h4 \! p; W0 F7 a) u
8 _: f+ }* L; R; M. f% I& C& GYou 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./ T4 C, L) d9 {; f5 m3 W
% A- c+ a" d: o; ^. J- l( h8 [The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.1 C$ {6 k+ O& ^& e( I/ \9 `/ }
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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.+ K+ S. ]3 @# @4 ]$ N
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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.0 K( L0 @$ k& W& j; x& D& Q0 N. k
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.% L4 B6 b `$ H& [) F" o
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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.
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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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2 ^7 o5 B. v+ o+ PLaufen 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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2 e1 q+ z3 e: {! l! u GThe 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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9 J# W0 m; Y! ~# hThe 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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