Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 E' u9 O( M# E$ {" V% U
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( d( a( P. ^7 YDezeen 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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! ]8 P( d: y# [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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- F3 E! n6 T! L8 eYou 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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. @, K0 h$ f1 E7 f" H" u |1 mThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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- G1 R6 Q- \2 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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+ V' f: V+ b* G5 x* b6 I- UThe 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.- D( K1 O2 z; F+ d" a
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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.' L" [6 ]4 V6 I0 C0 k! @
; }( w x+ H$ P ], L5 PThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.- q1 R$ {) }* \- _$ H } p
: a. {1 b6 ~6 @( Q' k6 {- N. NLaufen 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.3 p, t" Z y$ E- U2 u5 I" L8 y% i
2 R9 q' N; T3 VThe 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.2 a6 j$ s! e0 [) D
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