Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
, ~) D6 v9 A. ]$ q: ~6 `: ^7 X6 S7 ]8 {/ l& y. `- ^7 N
 / m2 Q) [% [+ o- W. {6 ]9 L* }
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. y6 u' e8 r: l' T
+ x. U3 y, s$ L9 z: H[/url]
2 O; n. X1 @# \ nThe 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.
1 p/ Z. C+ K9 s/ u ~1 _% s! n6 i+ y ( l. u6 S& f' B1 i* f. g6 E
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.
+ \. Q M* \2 B) D# @3 l0 J 2 F& F$ @7 c( x% |1 `9 Y
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
/ r7 p: i5 E; x& g* k. v5 d$ n
, N5 b* d: A. q( VIts 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.
3 Q6 w% S/ i2 F' _9 j; j% m* i
% C3 f4 {0 z+ ^( ]" @) kThe 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.4 ~6 s; ~' ?& L6 @0 Y# `
- x9 R$ [! ?" X6 fThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
4 s5 X l" A0 ^3 }5 v 4 i6 {" t8 P7 F. `' @8 ~2 n
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.0 a+ n& t3 ^& W1 C4 p- }5 G- I# C
 ) K* {: q t# i) f7 T
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.6 A8 O, E; w: h' B) Z0 c( Y/ }
 6 H6 r0 G5 h, N, ] _. p
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 l) H1 e6 M/ V& |6 E
; x1 c: p! `; h5 b }4 }9 \The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.- H+ Q0 z5 B, v, n: U v
 7 c9 q" S# r4 C4 D7 n# \
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.
& |" h# p/ Q' a5 l0 T" R[Search:DCION
( L4 ~2 Z1 l) b7 ~/ X* o " I0 V8 B: j5 k9 T4 E. q$ n' m$ M
9 x5 ?4 `( A9 W- Q
1 r3 h5 ^; f; N2 m: P7 i. ?, h5 ` |
J/ D5 P, E9 V/ ~3 O
: g2 d M- x5 G3 u0 Z: q$ [% V- } n7 { |
我喜欢的