Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ( i5 L: ^( ~  Q+ g$ Y 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. 5 e  J) L1 ?2 d % \% j0 W! j* c) I9 j[/url] 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. ( T' D$ F+ g( F# F, h 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. 2 h1 R* ]) F7 }# M + f$ M; u0 d+ u% h8 t2 p* I2 Z& {The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 5 i/ H: y  P- q6 v & s% k) T3 `  Z, BIts 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. 5 K  G3 Y# x/ h' }/ z& s  N 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. + n, L2 L/ ?9 Q8 K+ o! ^% |0 z 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. 7 V+ Y" G: F: ~The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 8 p5 \2 H6 y' W, I9 W4 S: q7 d" ` 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. - u. x$ r' f3 _( rThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ; w4 f; H  M5 K) R+ g! L# w 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. [Search:DCION - r( l0 {* I' H % a! Y. q" J& \- T( N4 b6 W

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