Laufen Swiss Architecture tour. ?1 u, G5 S. A) a3 x
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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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) q% R6 z7 v! b0 n2 jThe 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.3 E9 G1 y! W; F2 \5 f; j, ~
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.& b6 \2 y- p7 g0 N7 o9 J
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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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7 o' ]2 s' I3 {# lThe 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.. s$ `% o" B2 q: ^& b: a
* {9 X1 a x; v8 sThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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& o0 r6 _% |2 H% VLaufen 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.2 n Q/ ~- R/ b r0 H& ^! {
6 i- \: E! ^! N0 G; W: i: s/ ~* \The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.9 O5 h5 h7 \) C- X, x1 t* @: m- X
@" x: W* t' T7 ?& oThe 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.4 H+ e1 Q# D' P/ S* Y0 l
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