Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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. P4 W0 k$ f' D0 M: ^9 k1 EDezeen 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.0 \' w5 f% R, Y c
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- Z e* z+ F& K/ {9 w9 U+ f, H' }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.# U* [8 o/ a' T& B* O5 g: o
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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.; |, J! H% c+ E. N
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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.4 S" I8 o) ]1 o
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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.' t) F# L# @$ @5 p
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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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( }9 ?$ H" c) K( S* N/ i& S0 I' [The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.+ E7 `; q- d i# o& ^( a* w8 o
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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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0 A# ?3 K8 `8 d- K8 ]9 l" |The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.9 E! G) s1 e1 I& D/ _6 J
1 |- m7 E7 b9 r! [5 M" _: bThe 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.& b' K+ J0 J8 [
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