Laufen Swiss Architecture tour: F) P7 g8 N3 Y" Z) s6 I$ q
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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 y: h k3 g* B% n+ |. {$ e" E
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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.* U7 @: {. r& c4 \9 b7 \
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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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3 w2 {: |/ R5 f4 h4 YThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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! r" m. k( w- pIts 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.6 p* t, `: @3 `2 b
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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., L# ?' R o6 [7 ?* B
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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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0 Z) {' ^5 ~% P# o2 D" T% u' wThe 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.: G$ a8 }8 R" I8 U
( q7 Z$ S5 z+ j) b, YThe 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.' F6 U% a# @+ H) d) V
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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.7 U% I6 `6 o. R4 E
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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.* h- w" u$ }! j# E# a5 b: D
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