Laufen Swiss Architecture tour1 b4 Y8 e+ X( \; e, W
+ c" w( K1 N6 p) S
2 r' l" C' Q" {2 ?" [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.
6 \) L( z8 ~* }$ G2 h
4 ^8 b' T- c T* W3 a[/url]
8 ?; D9 H, P, N/ e1 G3 V' F$ q& FThe 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.
2 G6 H# B, X8 e1 b
_" {5 E5 z: f; N2 L: l3 iYou 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.
- d5 x1 L/ i( Z; f : L9 V. z- h0 P: I: c3 z
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
9 l. g2 m( b0 v
+ u. d& Z2 X9 _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.7 R% w: w# k( f5 c. r0 q
" m: v! [& `! x' A( n) @" dThe 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.% D2 d* _$ O! {; z
8 D8 W: H( R3 [: B- EThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.* H2 Z0 x& Y5 K3 O9 ?
! _7 ^, U# Y6 a, O4 H8 \/ R( g+ Y6 kThe 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.- h4 t7 j6 r. d l r" R. u
' e& h$ B1 Y8 VThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
7 X* t8 m& O' t2 ^ 2 N' Q6 D' j7 l" D, S
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.
% X; ?" r& Y& Q7 S, R ! L+ q. p* R4 E& ?- F
The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
' x# t6 M4 w% n/ Q ) t3 O/ P; R4 S. i
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.9 y. ]+ Q; @( n+ q. u# @0 t
[Search:DCION- z$ J* g. z2 t4 L( a
 % N% `* a Y* A6 c- Y- y8 K
# _8 i; Y. v! o& ?
, S" j; c: [! O' y [7 P+ R: R! M |
. N/ f; }( c) G" E9 z
$ y0 |0 P" B( V, I3 I3 k7 ? |
我喜欢的