Laufen Swiss Architecture tour# X( u% }! Z/ l9 K; c$ [5 h
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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.4 ]. N% Q1 _& ^- t" v/ W
4 C9 i0 F3 o* U# x: vYou 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.; J) ~) f+ n7 G) k0 J4 X8 h
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.: b8 D. S) P+ S" Q( a! q" B! _( e W
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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.. t; I' ^0 [7 J+ F# z
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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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. K* K y* |# Q) J# @& }The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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& y& F$ n) f G9 K0 j# sThe 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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/ h4 x% C: g! ?1 C3 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.
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" v$ `( E A. b5 k* k1 C8 M( zThe 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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