Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 2 A+ y( @% G9 Z! C# M; N 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. 1 N$ W! f, W+ W. \5 \( }3 k3 \' b [/url] % e/ C  w' [0 N# ^7 `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. 6 N) }) T: U2 `9 U% p & P% o$ X# ~8 {% [& B2 r, b% `( A1 y+ `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.   V+ V# N- O& _# s . K3 u' [" k! GThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 2 h0 H  B; A4 q3 u1 C% CIts 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. ( f# H3 s$ }% }6 m- NThe 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. 2 d3 ]- w( ~! t8 s; u 1 O2 \+ z4 _6 }The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 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. ( U4 x) [2 T3 M5 k9 W, S, O 0 X2 h. t4 k! \0 J( mThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. 2 i9 e: e/ K6 j2 B+ C, pThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.   J' Z" H- U. Y- K5 S9 L( W 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 # a+ c0 z7 U  w8 W

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