Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 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. 9 \( x( f3 O6 f5 t' p[/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. 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. / l% f+ Q& ?# B( W3 l5 ^  e( ] ' ]; F) @- w! R2 l2 \! E. hThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ( V6 K" s4 b, ?% P6 h 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. 7 B. X* x8 O: |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. & N( J: M  W5 ~+ N7 Y# sThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 5 k& A3 {1 ^( iThe 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. , e- L0 M# \8 X; _- _ / \1 Y$ d* V5 t$ Y4 N* a4 dThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 3 H* m( J8 u' |+ @* {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. , b. }! \8 _8 \1 s) o 2 }0 ]9 N4 X# C7 u" `. a6 qThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. : P& s- L, r4 c$ y$ Z( _2 \, e[Search:DCION   N# b/ Z* p/ D8 B& p5 Q# } , k; p% p: I5 n3 K4 N* q# @

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