Laufen Swiss Architecture tour. G+ S2 Z' i, Y5 o4 m( Q% E4 ^
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6 j H+ q+ l; [# ADezeen 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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" q! s' X# I! {# ^1 {+ jThe 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.2 C- z7 x& Q# s( I8 q* j
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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. v/ O5 L/ S4 V7 E# g$ w- x
$ i5 y% c) p! {& @+ F1 ], D7 PThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.+ @/ j {) b/ P K# p3 m' a
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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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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.& f M6 h/ R" h7 B
" l2 N* m; n7 C& I7 w, C- K6 {, nThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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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6 R, s$ l2 ~( s# g: g. fThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.; P3 C' U) r7 j! W9 e
* M5 E& c/ G/ v- z# gThe 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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% f' I7 Q) ^# I# o2 Q& |9 \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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