Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ( t# J5 f) a+ i, | % y% b* c* V% r% o" s 2 J& S( C" n  _6 o: i. c% H6 [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] 2 H& u4 D& Z. ~; R& A1 ]& R5 ~# b: yThe 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. 7 b0 a* A0 _3 W8 w! \( A  ~4 R( ` 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. ( R5 I9 c7 B. l% ~The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. + E0 Q0 S/ c$ ~% N* V7 [ 6 U9 G6 F9 F7 c: }+ w1 ?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. * q! C: t( f9 j/ w' K* o/ f4 |   R, F. K* k* h8 n$ LThe 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. + ~+ p5 |* M% L: v ' Q7 p" @% z/ `The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. " d7 n% z9 C- C4 [% B 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. # W8 c; P8 m! c $ {, V% [+ v. aThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. ; a) }3 h# V( r1 B. K4 OThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. 5 ~: o# f* L2 q& }) l. E7 K2 D! _[Search:DCION , z- I. I1 S8 ?8 a $ l3 t, j1 X) |$ S0 r 5 j0 q" b+ q' ^$ x( Z

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