Laufen Swiss Architecture tour7 f% S2 M A- K
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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.& D- V: M. t; _: ]9 ?4 {
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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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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.
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. s* S ?7 [2 iThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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7 c9 C+ h6 |6 G5 _3 |6 L& i5 zIts 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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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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$ _/ O$ Q6 E m3 ^7 _The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.9 X8 g( l* I; T, T3 }& P
- q1 C) e. M, M6 y5 |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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.; @4 _. Y5 Q+ a
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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.1 U/ s- w o/ q' U* a' o* \" L) q
# e% M9 k, m, | `The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.: d6 F" t5 |4 R( s& `1 r
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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.4 K1 h. V* `. n! w; n1 j
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