Laufen Swiss Architecture tour. d5 a8 {: A2 e8 f. [; ^( A
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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.
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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.* c) M" w' b4 J# ^
) H. r6 N& G( B0 i# [7 mThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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6 U9 Z" g# C# w3 ^. v+ lIts 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.: Q. N$ \. W; Q( _
" F' s2 N8 V( R6 n1 wThe 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.: |+ Z1 M! Y& Z1 h6 Y: w
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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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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.+ W; I' I) K( r! ^& s+ X$ d
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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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6 k$ ~. c) `. d 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.
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8 Q7 ^2 t5 l) N3 O" x* QThe 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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; p: K' M A2 W( T+ gThe 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.- ~% X/ K. Z& D+ k2 v7 f
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