Laufen Swiss Architecture tour0 ^9 [) O+ z) v6 O% y/ [
! b; @% I5 f% W$ U' h8 [: u. l
; R+ m: ] Y x9 k( E( FDezeen 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.
+ P g) f' ^1 G* d% M8 ^- Q* K, V1 e. m7 z- u, @) Y* M
[/url]
. {. J) _. [) {, l/ d" Z- WThe 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." F: y5 L! h4 [+ S& J' j8 ~. w
/ \( T& r# k: y U5 A2 kYou 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." C9 J, C: }1 w) B) T% J
# n2 e3 M$ B0 T9 Z6 ?7 J' bThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
) ]$ c2 g8 v5 X$ ?' G3 C
2 m3 @& d* d( T3 _2 W- QIts 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.
: x2 {; |, |: M. c j
7 U8 k# b% _6 q1 Y! B, GThe 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 w* u1 v4 a$ T2 z5 J2 x J2 I/ K1 O
 ( U( t; C' F) |8 v# X
The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.% s4 S* m+ u8 @/ A; g
$ ]% f2 l3 x4 [0 j3 VThe 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.: K: Y9 T; v9 [; `7 s/ z$ e8 D
 0 B* k% a& V( E1 Z- l V2 G: w
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
* @- ?5 I, }& E( r
0 b. ?5 y1 R. Z7 L1 Q( P) |0 l! OLaufen 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.
& x* d: b" I: H% \ y% _0 V6 ]1 D, e
The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
1 s. ]6 i( F+ r' o8 u* [( h# b7 c `1 U) J6 _6 p! ~, I6 y9 E; P7 J
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.
5 r- _3 i% Q, ^ f[Search:DCION. v/ e) {: m6 Z* y
w4 `7 I4 c3 s# A8 c8 {, I9 ]1 \
& o& y- F! E1 V( ~# I
- H4 M1 o/ Q9 q' E9 G: C8 e |
, D+ A: A% F! j3 {& A$ B! M! b/ h* m( L# X% m& l
|
我喜欢的