Laufen Swiss Architecture tour   X6 y4 J% M# c# u 8 ?1 g# b* D" Q( Z* H. q# Z . x! \0 {4 D; l) Y% XDezeen 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. [/url] 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. & d5 c: r" w* qYou 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 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. # e/ t8 ^' v6 P3 M 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. * G) u5 }; [# i# ]; ]6 C* @ 2 Z2 s6 l/ U5 M; N# z1 A1 Y+ _; _The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 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. ( I$ t8 n* t! C5 W* `9 P* n- w The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. 6 B+ u8 ?+ c. j, J& F$ s  | $ {6 E1 ^6 {8 G( b- c" L/ n) U9 OThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 5 C; [5 J- l; K1 W" t+ U0 O* H 8 a+ t$ d5 V- R. M2 X& R' O) 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. " J' [+ Y+ k. O) A/ a4 I[Search:DCION / I; |/ t& y/ ~. Y1 U ) ~* m+ p$ _$ {1 n' w& B% H. q+ c " _* J  x% x% I3 `4 F

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