Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 v2 X' j' C9 X, \
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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.7 R% q) m9 ~& D; ]2 m( a0 R
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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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3 z; [& D6 Y" n4 l( }: [. {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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6 N) G3 \, E, f7 CThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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! x4 I# L/ f- W% ~5 HIts 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./ S7 X! W3 d: V( f
* I. P0 y" G r, n5 X+ TThe 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.: R6 w# N) D/ N3 G- ^
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.: @# o6 b4 G4 v+ ^! h" C
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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.
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5 {" e$ a6 }& K/ p& W8 f) PThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.
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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.8 G! I* W; y" R$ N- ~6 X
! @$ b' G' r6 MThe 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.$ D1 M4 B. Q" A8 ^
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