Laufen Swiss Architecture tour! {) s& w, U+ r. l
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; t- ?5 H* ~. K/ P9 t7 |0 p; tDezeen 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.9 w# _% l4 a7 c& b
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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.+ t9 G; i) k4 j/ G8 ?

+ p/ W! [8 ^' x$ t" g& ^8 ]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.- Z P& j. u B* n# z: f$ F9 H

) d# A' y5 y& _" X1 qThe 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.
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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.4 k. b! Z' Y: K9 [9 h* H
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof." j7 V5 x5 b" p' \' f
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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." g7 j+ j! T& G; ?
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.+ m$ A* q: K7 N+ q% O) b
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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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$ _5 j. F$ V0 ~6 BThe 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.; I7 n1 C1 v W3 d+ ^1 c
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