Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.
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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.
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* e* c$ K. g% }7 pThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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1 O/ g8 n7 {: ~" HIts 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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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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% W! V' Y2 {* S1 aThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.0 T; S% h' ]% M% q+ ^) _; Z) A; E
2 Z7 [5 t" N+ f) ~8 pThe 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.4 k) P l7 P u" f6 D( u
$ @+ c7 I: Z& w9 e% wThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.0 I+ t/ K- k4 V# M. @( r
! e- U- w5 U' {9 L! ~5 K& X$ v kLaufen 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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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.9 e& T/ t- A; _
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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.7 Z6 ?. S8 R3 q/ o
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