Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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. I, K( x4 z2 o. mDezeen 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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p7 c+ p6 O3 b5 M# eThe 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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.1 `$ Q# r p2 ]; o3 V) x* X* w) l
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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9 G1 c: _# Z0 F$ I& ?1 V" TThe 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.- m3 `% e1 V2 N7 Z$ E l" M; d1 g
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material., K0 m1 W8 x' o! W/ h5 l& t. Z$ |
8 r. }' \; m8 B+ p- y, P ~$ L& YLaufen 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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6 m3 F) o, e i GThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.$ g4 ^: u5 G1 y6 T4 @
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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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