Laufen Swiss Architecture tour " x. X& K0 U, Z; ` 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. ! U: n8 T" o: l! k0 V8 u $ K! D8 S- l+ t( a( W0 C[/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. + e6 [; J8 z; ]+ t 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. ' p( ~, U( K, N4 f 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. 5 s( n6 t9 W3 U% a7 q, V 8 S+ y. ]  Q8 g& {7 d; E) XThe 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. 4 ^9 \1 d9 k$ `5 r! h8 E : v% `; L6 n! L6 sThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. & W# J; b) b1 L2 J6 ]$ d * j% S* Y: H$ j3 r/ }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. 3 u6 a0 H& w+ n; Q0 `The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. " {% f. C8 H2 ?1 X, g # O/ J+ q* m2 t) c: p* gLaufen 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. & P8 M* T4 q3 Q4 ^/ l0 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. 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 - M9 y/ n# s; F: w2 J , ~* S9 I3 |9 _0 Q5 V. N ( s5 d3 ^/ G( A% K$ y; i- X$ R$ @

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