Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.
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0 }0 c7 X. b9 M* \0 N, tThe 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.
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/ y1 s- d* i1 Z z hYou 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.8 I3 k+ X( l& E$ l' E
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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% s% N2 n' \. d- f; n, v3 }: o9 f( tIts 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.5 o2 c% F) U4 a# y i$ _: X
2 U4 b3 y8 u! f- oThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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." \" w: E8 W- t- U; A, P
" G$ I% z- N, w: Z. c- ^, f( sThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.3 ]) c1 P; [; x" a
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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.
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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.+ s2 q* P8 ]3 j, V
6 ]- U* x6 H$ R6 YThe 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.
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