Laufen Swiss Architecture tour + C& m$ a; t8 V3 t- M7 O ' y- v  z% c4 k4 s5 O7 ^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. + M) k( N6 M$ z8 v6 [6 k" c [/url] 8 P& m/ @1 p% b3 vThe 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. 0 C$ a0 x$ {! q& g 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. ' i* j: ]) e" c. f8 B $ C5 ?' g+ p  w% T8 D: ~5 |The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. " g3 D) t9 y4 b3 { ! T. B7 i& Q; z1 GIts 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. - F, t) k. C7 p0 DThe 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. + n* x% K1 {. @; R1 L 3 }5 T4 J9 W+ t7 JThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ( K" z& Z' [3 y1 g( w1 p 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. 4 l9 ~2 ^0 }* [. ?5 O5 C& m1 d The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. % T) {4 b6 I' x! S# o/ m 6 H5 v0 C8 s/ e3 pLaufen 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. The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. : X4 s* o( s0 I0 ?* Z' k 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. 1 a& x2 Z& d' O[Search:DCION , g2 W* T! G/ \% J1 W5 U / I8 l6 \, u2 J$ j  U$ m& J ' O, [$ g" Z1 c6 E, Y" o3 G6 j

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