Laufen Swiss Architecture tour $ ?1 e& L" ]5 M  h2 _ 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. , D% ~- f/ M  N/ ~  l5 z& }; x [/url] + l1 B4 }# |  w4 U/ C" uThe 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. 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. + n( P" P% y; ]$ k % `( j$ ?. b9 p1 s" AIts 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. 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. ; v0 [8 {$ W! k0 q. O+ O" u& E  ^ The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. # R8 k) r6 Z5 G6 N # m9 N  G3 X/ k* YThe 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. / f% m" E! K2 @+ J/ _8 C The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. ) V" v% ]" x( v* r 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. ; v; S( a  J, r# W9 [% BThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ( r; n2 f( F* } 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. [Search:DCION ; g8 ?- d5 [3 v1 ^, N 5 q5 A& ?  @2 |2 |" C3 ?) E0 d; |1 a& v

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