Laufen Swiss Architecture tour7 i7 R: J0 [( p, T6 W I. [0 W
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- ^1 O; @3 \( ? }% qDezeen 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.6 m. G4 [; k9 u. O
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/ _& C3 f! G2 k9 @8 XThe 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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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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 K3 o3 P9 z) v+ I2 F8 e5 u
$ _& Z M# q! Q4 U3 s8 v8 V: S( vIts 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.7 j: D( s5 v. d
5 C( V, }' R: p. l8 ZThe 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.; {" X" O! ?" s# K: @; Y* |0 S6 d
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.$ V- m1 X3 x+ B! o" Q8 Q8 z
: z3 b7 ?: f! lThe 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.; i/ S+ n; s( t! k( @
# g% c/ S& R/ [8 }1 S# _5 [0 V& fThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.' ?: z U% M1 {2 |4 r
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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.) e0 G) W( t# \- j6 _" I, e
0 J/ d/ ?8 W6 e( o* v6 A% EThe 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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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.3 o- R- ]) j5 @7 U. j
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