Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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6 e8 l6 G; Q R+ [- j/ r4 K) L; O+ YDezeen 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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: p$ L4 \0 H) J/ e( H- G: xThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 |5 c$ t0 K; n S C$ L
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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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! ~' w& P, e& N$ h2 v# U, WThe 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.- F$ L/ d; T; K0 t3 W
5 x* h" H1 j$ p( M7 z+ a' D( KThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. n& b6 V' ~0 q$ m" k
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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./ i; x* i. z- k3 j
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.3 f6 L, R" v$ f! J* ?1 `* s
0 e$ K6 h0 P/ G/ `6 f: }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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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.3 p$ T/ \" y1 T8 K- n
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