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: Q6 f( y* O5 l% E; ~% @3 m. YDezeen 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., `* ], c7 e5 u5 M
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3 t, P+ s4 x" q2 `* y! Y5 ?5 TThe 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.& _( a# `) F! [9 m6 z B
3 A9 d$ v7 G4 M U1 zYou 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.: t) q6 [9 U# [
5 N1 ?4 l- \5 G$ XThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.$ V2 Z: Z# {; x" `- f' \
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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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# w P2 S3 z* n$ }. w! AThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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3 M9 D, s( A. S. B5 ~/ }( J, RThe 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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: [, m' @' j& gThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.1 K9 }1 j- t7 g m1 w
& t c& x5 j; B4 \% MLaufen 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.
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