Laufen Swiss Architecture tour, v" _* D! U5 e. u& A$ }( k4 ~* G- F
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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.
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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.6 [% X& z, P$ t+ k1 |) L% q# w1 k
) K* X9 T0 o/ `& {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.0 I7 B" _9 n) v
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.: T; f4 L6 m! e' h7 [
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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 X; p1 i3 c! p, A5 h
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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.) M- R+ }5 B7 B/ W8 p( |% C# l
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof./ |3 A& }) l. E) @
1 S# ]# Q; [$ C- |$ jThe 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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" Z* p% |& T6 s1 B' d+ VThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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5 E f' L! [. v1 J* W# G- JLaufen 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.4 ]7 Y. W8 E2 Y! X' ]2 X8 R& W
, p% h% H5 G5 x/ h% y2 z1 u3 oThe 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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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.: R0 g+ {; g$ K, O
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