Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.9 E' T9 O# _% J4 Z% z m9 r
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- a' {8 Q! P' d- O2 u$ mThe 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.. P+ r8 f9 i' X2 G: ^
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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.9 V2 \, `/ r8 g) E
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.1 M; _, B2 u. `# K: g

5 M# o8 Q( j) fIts 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.. z& J% \8 ^7 J1 d) E7 ]

! d+ n' H/ V5 p+ [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.
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' d, i! W7 z$ l3 h; J, m$ Q+ X; H& ^The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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' s4 {0 _+ K) e* v/ f. x" fThe 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.; [+ L* Y2 ^% G5 z. Q, I* y3 p+ n
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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+ U, {4 o, D9 W9 yLaufen 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.' ?( S% I. x& f& T: o1 P0 @

3 M1 g- }( F4 ^, l5 O' G; W$ aThe 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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