Laufen Swiss Architecture tour - U0 I7 N; [4 A% i 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.   n3 E5 J8 i+ P' n% u * u  z( m6 T) A; A3 I; ?) {[/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. 8 j4 C7 w) \# D * [, `( Z4 @8 ^$ `2 V! y7 UYou 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. ; i" d/ |- O( |6 v The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. - d1 B/ y  t% L8 c 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. 0 X; g0 j/ h- P- Z 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ' p/ D' a2 U( I# @; y1 v9 g 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. / r: h# s7 N1 ^8 J 7 e- m6 D! r( _2 P$ k3 Z# @; tThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 4 [3 Z8 }. q1 L& D9 { 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. 9 \* T0 G: i2 p% d8 y. \, MThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 9 r1 u" Z; a! j0 M$ t # k- L& @8 W! SThe 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. 6 ~* J  x0 D, `, ]" ?$ W7 [[Search:DCION 3 `) g# O4 \7 R3 U % S8 T. y) u: \0 u$ t# p

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