Laufen Swiss Architecture tour* w/ J& t/ m0 s0 P- H
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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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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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0 B" w4 F8 t& ]4 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.
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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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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.1 i$ w8 [/ e5 Z6 L Q2 y: M1 G
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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.2 _* u- T. @( E8 l! f
# ^3 ?& t1 o* T6 g3 |The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.2 [3 g! S! Y' \6 }
- w$ G: ?* F3 [/ B2 CThe 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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! t, f8 d: n& ^The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.9 l! \+ O, T) C
8 Q* v3 \+ y/ Y" ~- J# dLaufen 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.) p" @5 w6 u0 M4 z1 \1 i
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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.8 u1 v+ Z% e5 m7 A* N: C$ u$ E
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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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