Laufen Swiss Architecture tour/ I: W' j, g0 f
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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.
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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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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.# N( C2 k6 X5 ^! u; j
) J0 m7 h7 s+ jThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 `9 V& u! U* h* @7 ?
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Its 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.& @* m4 c, N/ k( n1 g$ T
1 N! x2 [# `. z& @0 QThe 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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1 }3 p/ ^5 T$ I# u" Y1 `3 xThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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$ _1 }" S# z" s, o( V7 c. d- NThe 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.* l& ~+ `/ q$ f L: B7 D
# ]/ k4 _3 Y. D9 K( T6 rThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.* d# M7 B2 \8 {
" ` L3 ?9 f- D. u6 }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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9 j- }2 E2 B; r+ }/ HThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.( T) Z' S6 z G' Z+ b
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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.
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