Laufen Swiss Architecture tour0 v7 @# D& r* L' `. D( I+ k; J5 W* ]# I
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3 z9 v/ U; N/ u$ 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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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. a/ c6 V2 \; u3 Z4 X5 b8 \9 g
! K4 m; z5 W* YYou 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.! Z: f; ?- M8 p- f9 X! g
. E6 o6 Z: s) \- ]The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 m6 N5 X. R3 C/ k7 g( m
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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.
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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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% p$ P0 i% Q% j' c" c: N6 RThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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! \& |6 C: y0 JThe 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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material." b+ l9 t+ u0 b! F! v$ c; S
4 P( {) `( q/ r2 [7 e1 j# M2 A4 l8 e% e4 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.: ?! s: Y$ L' p3 A
9 C- u" f. |0 i- {1 i- 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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* ~. @+ p& n: k0 ?- V3 ^1 E% |# Y! BThe 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./ {3 R% D- l1 S! ^& `( x
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