Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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& ]& b! Z5 }0 v% i; d4 N# I0 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.; e7 F' Y' h$ [( f4 R2 X+ L
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: s# ~3 E3 V" U6 P. j% g3 B! tThe 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.) x, \% F; m) A! z
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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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) F5 F4 P ^6 E7 L* t% I# u* oThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.; R: ?, O$ _ _5 H6 i
& G5 g6 V, u: A: tIts 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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5 o Y) u6 H9 s' r. 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.
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2 S* ]- K& b4 B$ mThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.2 _7 R. C4 t* Y6 D' A
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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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+ g8 i! g# E* H3 T& a" vThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.0 B& n) j+ E2 Y& y$ h
. d$ R8 g* t# ^1 g" ^8 hLaufen 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.* w1 Q/ e1 Q6 F
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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., Z' x, b4 N- l
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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.% m/ [; K( b* t X
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