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. [/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. 5 h7 a$ x8 \, Z8 \  {' R 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. ( M9 j) _$ ?" t. f' C# L4 T. C" QThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. " S; E$ o/ W- e1 k 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. 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. 1 Q/ h; Y; o) k+ \- h , C1 N& _5 J9 x$ l7 U. ?. TThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ( O! A& _! J0 G' v' WThe 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. & S( \" [0 P$ N. TThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. " I, s& P+ @/ Q( lLaufen 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.   m. D. D; k, S- d( v0 s% [ 4 J3 \3 z: r+ N$ z, }The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ) T+ n/ X7 t5 ]1 p+ Y+ }* M8 ^8 rThe 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. / w. a/ R$ A8 P1 g[Search:DCION $ Z. O! W" }9 B( k- v% D* l1 L0 Q

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