Laufen Swiss Architecture tour. c- U8 X3 n5 B; M
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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.
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$ M ~ N9 \' }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.7 M# H% B2 O1 Y5 v
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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.7 U2 E; i G* T9 U5 _* S
5 U, J+ F& a6 q; a; ^The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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8 Z T, t( J2 r8 K1 ^' t) f, gIts 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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$ N& h" K7 t0 n( {+ X& t/ X6 l2 iThe 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.4 Q9 t5 g1 K( d2 m8 Y0 |. G. ~" R
& G+ w! f$ [+ U, BThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.: A8 V+ D7 m5 c. g
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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* p6 ~( j# {" c+ \5 H9 s3 kLaufen 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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% a, J$ |6 L# p/ d# [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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( ]' j. ], n' k4 F6 TThe 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.' G5 G3 I3 M+ L: w. j- i' _& f
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