Laufen Swiss Architecture tour2 ^0 x$ l* r' ]$ J. h1 S
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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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& Y) O: P# v& ~2 m: @. Y: H1 FYou 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.- k; ]* @+ n5 K/ j& H
, f" b( L. V. s/ |5 F& W0 [9 }7 x4 xThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.5 Z+ u; Z$ l! I6 S0 j: S1 M9 I0 a: u
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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.; l4 k; k! R5 y! q' b
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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.
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/ q( S$ V2 L: b, E1 y# I( X; qThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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9 a+ f2 ]" j- I- N1 {+ |. ?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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The 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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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.* E8 I; J7 C9 _" o- o& [
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