Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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6 l" I( U' z6 ]4 c2 KDezeen 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.5 b8 n) K) y [. k, d
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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.
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$ p! `. }) K1 J! QYou 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.( i# B# D" o9 _
2 s4 ]2 }. o6 E H& o9 \The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre., {2 x+ }& m( @7 I8 X
9 S) `6 l/ M; s V! V- D6 ?0 d) yIts 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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$ ^3 M! j3 Y' A3 rThe 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.& k( Z; Q2 L: O% a
% o' R4 s9 {7 zThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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$ S1 w$ Y5 P$ o& pThe 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.2 E- B7 x6 M T& m3 T$ Y9 v
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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.3 B( G: X0 o2 ?" A4 y
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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.
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