Laufen Swiss Architecture tour8 e* U2 K( `. h5 Y
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* P; N6 w3 a! MDezeen 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.; Z1 j0 _! l' ]
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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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. Y, W1 a- \) Y- T! j- NYou 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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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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.8 F+ H% V" p7 Z
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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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) c9 N: s5 U- P" y- IThe 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.0 Q* }. R5 h2 _4 ?( Q3 Y
' m& z7 E% y- j8 wThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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1 D [3 o T( M3 u8 sLaufen 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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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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( O% s g" G( fThe 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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