Laufen Swiss Architecture tour$ I% _3 F0 D: e
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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.8 C7 X N# ^- X, Z- y
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0 z$ b. v% k. S" I% k: ]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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3 {5 ~, o# p5 d9 @, h) ?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.. ^' |% V1 s/ z' N. Q: A2 |
7 x0 t8 E* M6 g$ T; D. O# KThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.( @; D! U7 z0 M& e3 e
( ~; N3 N' A9 C1 {, t: S& nIts 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.2 [( `" j8 R+ B0 N, n8 m
4 P. j) g2 ?1 l+ |" ~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.6 u! `9 Z2 g1 Q: A. w
9 P- }0 `$ v: J- SThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.+ u% ]) K8 p3 a/ ]
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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.* x L, J) Q) o8 z& {) i: `4 }/ ^; O
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.. j# Y1 q! c# }' C& S! X, D( ?
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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.. i. g- V4 z, y# N6 d" |$ h; ]
) }6 _. W6 ?3 B9 Q6 i# vThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.: M- M2 M9 ~* I! ]8 Z
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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.2 [5 A$ t& } G( b' O7 |: j$ M
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