Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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- _* i" G) z- H. [/ x8 U! MDezeen 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./ Q/ j1 b( J. ?- i5 g
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, i# _; \4 [# H7 B5 z9 _1 VThe 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.6 t2 o& b& [ W' {9 o" H/ X/ G
4 \8 b% P4 u: H6 P& a/ L6 ~: N* 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.6 K$ H" t* b6 S% U2 u
7 V" r* v4 Q5 B- D$ t( WThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.( r1 g h+ V' z3 h
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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.
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7 S2 [' K4 u4 @6 FThe 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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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7 x9 N% v) C- ^, F: r' f$ 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.0 ~* Y0 v x' }% z# O" V$ ?
8 E/ x$ m" h8 r6 ^* xThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.; o" Q. S9 w5 s3 ^- Y# W
; u! o2 O: {: r) K) VLaufen 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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8 Q Q& p8 b- b( ^. HThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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6 O; S% o- ~2 |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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