Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.( |6 e8 B) W, Q
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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.8 w9 D3 T: Z; D: |
4 x7 G' t: [8 \7 n1 DYou 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.$ Z, w" [2 o- g
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.) ]8 Z+ @4 K: S ^ }# S" z
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Its 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.+ i) u/ ?8 t4 \ J) C8 \
( V* N6 g' W3 x; _7 B( ZThe 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.( N, {9 w T; R
& O( U6 \/ s, `$ |The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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1 R8 F8 t/ c# r R6 J4 |) lThe 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.1 F4 b- x4 y: p, K2 B
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.3 Y8 k' j! A+ I
- Q# U7 E* n. X2 @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% T; \! f0 N3 u. H4 \) b
" q% O+ s3 J7 L Q- NThe 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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) O7 c) o$ O# P0 q- C1 R, Z. QThe 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.
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