Laufen Swiss Architecture tour , }* \5 {9 J. z0 j8 u* ] 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 S6 _* W6 I5 R$ Y $ N- U, A3 C) i$ B5 s/ Q5 a; I[/url] & u$ G: s! X" f" |4 O8 QThe 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. 6 F8 W1 J" `4 ~, D- }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. 5 {6 j) L- a1 u8 S4 IThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 3 }: T, ^. E" F+ j3 N& \$ i; q " P7 W" v7 `, Q& {3 i( O* {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. - J$ _, K( W0 b* B& @8 R0 p# J4 jThe 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. 3 {( q$ Q# Q# D5 s/ w7 B ; F* H8 W; z6 B4 K1 c% D* RThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. . N  R6 d# `$ s% g' t  x6 H 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. 3 S0 ]3 n! N" K" S/ }9 KThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. . b( Y' Z/ c* j, V0 {8 ELaufen 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.   L( W$ I' A( H+ b The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. [Search:DCION 2 [" C* G& ?$ m/ S ) n9 F/ Z' D  v2 }9 r6 T' L+ g- L 8 w$ w' v% V' H2 F0 ]. J9 {

% s, I% v3 K: `0 d0 W8 X% v

我喜欢的