Laufen Swiss Architecture tour: `1 R0 S6 H9 g
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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., Y0 v8 e) P! v2 a
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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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5 a$ |1 q5 O( b- [: o, L5 F' }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.* W6 y# s3 V5 Q6 h' r8 Z' q
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.) @0 @. s5 e6 [7 W+ |; B R. k
% p% M; _% u, s8 y9 eIts 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.
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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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7 b0 k4 C( L6 Z6 b4 n& s; j2 lThe 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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.* R3 {4 g% f) V6 F
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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.' @9 ~/ {# b7 }4 y# T& v& t3 o
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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. \6 x/ W$ b& l1 \
9 N3 O3 ^8 m6 R8 YThe 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., |0 B* U# I2 F {) f7 E
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