Laufen Swiss Architecture tour& E8 ]# w2 D6 Z
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! W5 @0 {% y9 ? VDezeen 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. k ^9 ]: |# `# O1 u
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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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0 a: \3 z2 d5 F; P2 |' sYou 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.% h4 S- c0 s. W( l* o1 d
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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* N1 [! q" U' ^3 ~: r# O- \8 RIts 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! P0 b5 {, p3 D- R9 R) i" Q
: f3 f' p/ r" ~5 {' N8 y$ \& s3 H, |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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3 `9 k! {& ~& N! i w4 `The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.% `# K" S3 M( b1 ^5 u
# E& y: c: b* {$ YThe 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., }6 D; W6 I$ X' m3 A
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material." R) L* `' D2 [: i- x* s% A$ S9 X
( _% k m8 ?/ fLaufen 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. g/ w: Q* G3 y, K2 W$ n
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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.- A6 ^% _, }! l0 \, Z3 U3 Z9 w3 t
$ H. R' d2 n8 C& SThe 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.! K+ f" p. m. A, }5 r
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