Laufen Swiss Architecture tour( o0 x: Q2 u. m
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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.8 M$ g, s2 u @8 y, T2 Z4 Z
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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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% N5 V9 o- \" `) r" d% T9 Z- hYou 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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$ n$ ]" }6 X& x' a2 cThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.& a ^! T6 C4 `; A3 h( q- A+ e+ u
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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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$ Q& I( i/ ]9 e# _% S 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.7 r$ |+ ~, S4 C9 B
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.+ m- T" W! k5 J5 U. D$ N1 ]) _
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The 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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& g r2 Q. f2 D$ v* b; e# eThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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6 L& ^# z! q+ _6 K! w4 s2 zLaufen 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.
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# _0 x7 ]% ]! P0 xThe 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. l! G9 s3 N3 n$ _' [, N
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