Laufen Swiss Architecture tour' U Z% k- Q, T& U8 E. F
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2 q6 \) \% w7 r& DDezeen 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.
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" r9 u% _ }8 fYou 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., P" f, S8 G$ e8 e/ y$ J* H
# e* Z2 t! _4 ]1 u- n) S# z; pThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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" |9 c# q% @; ?& CIts 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. i# C$ R9 U' a5 `
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.8 G" M! a6 S1 I3 X) z* g, G5 n! a
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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.
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) k5 Z/ c: ?# X1 cLaufen 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.# v z" Y$ _- S$ x' C
$ ?9 n, C. i! x4 r$ P6 kThe 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.9 k5 @+ {. X3 u. E: [4 l0 o
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