Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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+ X. Y2 c% y4 Z3 a$ s/ pDezeen 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.2 r# q, H5 ?/ k9 _# Y
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/ q* z V: v/ p) h# ^! N7 iThe 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.1 M& H! j6 V& ^; e$ v* }' }& `
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.8 B7 [! o" \1 ~8 M" P3 P
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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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.8 i8 _& l/ @8 B$ H1 k+ K" E" z
2 Z( w5 H. B6 s8 n" G& fThe 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.8 ]. l8 M) w4 X! N0 L. s
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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5 B$ i4 }* g: d7 ?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.# V& Y' J0 V$ I8 W; M* T' ?! ^7 i
& l& O$ _" J% N1 J" D' NThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.% c; ^( F/ Q' w8 o
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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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