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1 r& d9 B1 s j+ O! H; tDezeen 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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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.
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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.* g8 Z' ~# N' ^3 K+ e
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.5 d' c7 K& a0 J! C
: Q* O5 l( x! [- F0 o; g8 DIts 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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* ]* l$ D. w/ x3 m: I5 R9 _. t' FThe 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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! l% Z4 j1 L7 P5 X' _; ]The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.& |1 P, f2 z S
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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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1 c/ P* p0 Q4 w! t5 b& ^The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.# f7 e9 ]5 L3 z: F. n1 ]
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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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6 ^1 x2 Z/ ~' xThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.6 G8 s# f! f! `$ `$ T
0 a4 f6 b4 `% } l3 c$ N. f+ ~) xThe 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.6 p+ V V4 O5 s4 r, m J8 @/ K
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