Laufen Swiss Architecture tour- d! H- R5 A9 s3 F# Y9 i6 A6 z
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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.
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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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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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+ [/ N7 p+ r) j, wThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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8 g. y3 E- O6 m& z& 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.# A- Z p2 f: j- t% r2 d
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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.# V5 T/ o1 N6 J1 o" N$ f6 N
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.3 V$ }8 j( W" {* a
' }; u. c, T5 ?, v0 _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.# ?- q; r6 p& w0 y
6 h! M4 H# `" {) w( kThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.2 v: T% {2 n6 u1 n( T
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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.
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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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1 m7 @6 s4 f; y- lThe 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.7 \/ I$ D. K7 W b/ W# w$ U
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