Laufen Swiss Architecture tour0 r1 l. L; P2 }! y1 ]" u
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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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; I5 B7 C2 c1 U4 N! k4 e) V# \5 gThe 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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. \( c4 {, I2 t4 s3 g8 C4 `9 m( kYou 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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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 P0 |3 E9 N" \2 n1 t
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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.0 A% S7 [5 E- k4 N
$ ?% C6 Q" g/ d' ?+ K+ DThe 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.- g$ E6 Z3 p, n- O0 w8 f
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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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/ u* P* C4 v7 h0 tThe 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.3 a9 |5 G% N; P+ A3 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.9 y# U! a/ d- e [) v' O( S( ^: q l
3 O2 t( R/ e+ jLaufen 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.* l- r& r. B3 \3 A5 e% n) F
% `1 ^+ d3 L9 O) ~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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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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