Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 0 O  P8 P7 k- M5 N 1 G7 L  A4 A, b. H. Y , y  `+ }, N) ^$ P7 M/ J' aDezeen 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. $ L; H- z- [& s% ~( [$ ?  w  H[/url] 6 [4 D1 ^9 M; ?9 j" \; ]: nThe 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. : Q8 T. x+ b! p0 g% h2 }8 @8 |# S) N - |; D. E/ j0 X- L1 g) n$ R/ uYou 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. . l( f5 E9 s: ?* I. z5 K" v: e7 O. ~9 f 4 n6 n" x8 x: k6 ~1 b6 f+ m3 BThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ! R% z7 B  A6 C& kIts 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. & f0 P6 u* o. XThe 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. % |' T' [3 ^- M5 U4 W' Q 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. 8 ?2 H: z* N( Q' m 5 Y/ c0 T' k  i0 [" Q$ cThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. : S" s7 Q1 o0 d/ O7 ]3 s  MLaufen 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. 7 E, A4 ?* g; [0 S   }7 @, I, r1 K) w: kThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. + L/ o9 E+ p7 P: K- LThe 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. ' @  F0 E, ]! v3 ^[Search:DCION - w- l- M& |3 v% u! o  b / ?2 ~3 h2 x# X; `, E

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