Laufen Swiss Architecture tour( J8 M( K9 o1 ] s
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3 p+ n/ }2 E) W$ g p4 RDezeen 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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2 O7 r; k; u$ o2 j$ yYou 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.( V8 k6 N; \* {9 m- y# M: u3 V
* i, V# u% L& n ?. _9 `The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.0 ~0 F; Q4 f6 e# @
; D/ Y7 @- ^* F3 `) c/ l; I xIts 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.7 F( E. H9 Z+ x# r! ~ O
" _7 J) i2 C% v' T, tThe 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.; v* c: ?5 [1 W8 u Y/ y
+ |( h* Z' m% V7 d2 `4 n0 BThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.- C9 A/ c+ Y, G( a# y7 d
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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.
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" M7 t* B5 v) l( E+ WThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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( K( }3 I' `7 Y$ 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.
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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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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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