Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; T1 n' H8 P- S x' y! N1 R) B
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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.7 b3 |* B/ G! j( C
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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.+ [3 I7 j7 ?9 k% q7 t" K- y: `
/ d2 Z" o$ H0 m; w5 |7 }7 Z- _, `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.' ?# b* n* S& i$ G' F
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre." A% Z$ x5 C# t6 Q: ], k4 n2 R
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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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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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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof., l9 u: N9 K% c4 t6 [& @6 c! A" 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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7 p+ j# `/ J) W( L2 K& TThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.. n3 F2 M9 K" r" z
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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. z3 V' v# G( Y6 B
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