Laufen Swiss Architecture tour* F$ s, n8 p+ X9 h: w& `- Q3 A2 \: @
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- f- h$ y" J$ F4 o7 W+ aDezeen 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./ H3 B, Y" d k, @; h, b
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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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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.: ]8 o# _; B" H$ U
# t: \- o- a6 i$ G' h. nThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.
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\) v" a5 X; W& T6 o$ W% K3 @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.) P2 J8 I/ N- k9 ~
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.: |8 l2 n3 |. I) O$ o
2 q' c. J& c E/ z6 f0 C! ~0 KThe 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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.) h$ ? D) Z* ?" q7 N( k, }
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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.. `4 U( t7 t9 [. A$ X
; _2 P% r. N! M+ @6 tThe 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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% n+ a6 ^' Y/ Q5 s9 d% s7 iThe 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.5 T! t, \9 I7 L$ C# G
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