Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; p" G( d( L: G# S |' {
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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.% P' R6 ?& H/ f, g
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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." d7 D2 K( P: r* [( q( o3 T
+ g6 K2 R4 b) i. g+ }) J- aYou 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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) B" K! T2 f" r: d' NThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.& t7 s$ g* [7 ?: E `& N
2 |+ v" `+ s2 x& J' `8 i' xIts 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.( |! W8 }, j: g( m. l! k$ W- q
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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., D& ^" U' D, X/ N( U+ s. n
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.1 M8 {8 [/ e# f! M9 T8 Z
. r% [; C8 C+ i4 J# b: e s) EThe 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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. K l8 X2 h3 r% u9 nThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. U+ [2 s. J6 h# [
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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 P3 s8 ?* v% k# f
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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.5 O. i; X }( R+ ~: h3 g
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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.; j9 p4 v0 B6 R( ^. d& R0 Y6 \
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