Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.6 H1 { P5 y6 k
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7 ]: p# x$ ^ {' r eThe 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.4 S0 J. g- R# e

9 K) p# ?1 \0 `5 D9 WThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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# y D3 O' @4 M' M& b, ~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.# m5 ~4 S7 i8 _/ }
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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.# K# {. r2 p6 x u' i; t Z# w

3 x) H+ Q# v$ V' Z. A+ GThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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' ^) n6 r2 W) J3 n: 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.$ M$ m) w8 ^( w+ [, s. s/ I) T i

$ ^# {6 j0 B5 D) o8 o6 n eThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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2 I# M5 Y- [+ C/ N) DLaufen 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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h5 z+ K) p- A6 s3 G+ [" e6 ~The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.9 n, t/ |0 V a
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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.
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