Laufen Swiss Architecture tour : V$ e' ~' H) p 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. [/url] , v. @4 n9 G/ V5 f6 S2 PThe 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.   g% p: P0 Y  }. M) e: n 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. & \4 y9 S. X5 Z6 v The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. % I% T  b) V4 b" f" m. s 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. * b3 h. I; U8 }3 y. v- GThe 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. $ l0 i+ W7 x! ~# C* ^, F* d The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 7 [! O% R6 k' r% ? 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. . K7 M7 t7 C' x The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. * P3 e( p6 j6 |$ a1 d; ], cLaufen 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. 9 G- a7 Z4 ?3 m  f 4 ^' ?) x/ O6 t* BThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. . @3 g0 ^# E. h. t5 o% {- H' W * [& m3 ~) k( G9 a3 V  ^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. [Search:DCION * B, X7 `; u6 Z3 u# E * Q0 \6 d- O2 B% U9 Y7 g/ q# d & |. F  U" R7 I$ T7 J; x+ g. R

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