Laufen Swiss Architecture tour1 Z/ }; m/ q, X# t
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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.! i+ @! Q, v" B& C" |
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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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: b- A; Y6 X3 M# m; xYou 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.1 ~- U# B, s4 ~( ?+ a- T
# p {- ]( Z& P$ u# y* ZThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre., _5 L9 X0 l, @
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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.5 i' n* L% D* e
( Y8 r, ], k! [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.
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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.5 P; t8 h: i9 \2 O. \3 B/ K
; ~: R, l5 J9 h$ c2 Q, R" HThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.' s1 i9 @; a/ `: A% k' a3 v
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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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: I) R4 ^. g& B7 B9 B4 x! d' SThe 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.
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