Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; \& O, T: _" |; c* H
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& q. U) e2 y' G4 n7 w4 \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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1 w5 k) N7 K# Q) ?( RThe 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) F1 G( w3 k/ G; G. _7 t
+ l' y( e ~& m8 g: [$ t) rYou 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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* i) Q+ H, d8 k: v' Y9 B! Z0 HThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.# X3 Q, D' F+ l* I6 M" ^& B1 T
3 X1 c: r6 i% Q$ S8 e4 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.# ]4 o. A5 y& o4 `3 i
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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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1 a( w- m8 Z) o% w# R$ ^+ Y- v# ?The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.1 n! i+ F; U1 }( ]$ i" K; m
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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.- J4 |$ w% C0 F+ Q
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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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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.$ |7 m8 A9 t* u9 k: y
, ^9 q, v8 Q( z3 Z& Z+ L. |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.: b& O; s0 i" d2 y
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