Laufen Swiss Architecture tour / Q% E2 g% N% h4 d+ p; K 9 T$ \8 B2 ]  V0 L& h 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. % K$ }3 z- o6 m/ O9 E( E6 Q $ R) p$ D- `8 C! p4 w, R[/url] 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. 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. . |2 A1 V+ v6 q4 U/ Q The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 0 K' P' U2 P- ^! ] 2 L8 t1 l$ M  [& \" y2 jIts 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. - L' P' f3 S5 F- |) G% [# t) mThe 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. 0 N9 V( D; q7 ^* n1 i6 J ! C% Z- m# m( T8 x: q7 c! d- xThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. " Q& f6 y, B4 J + \! L: z9 o. 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. $ f0 e5 I! {& k- b: OThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. * {7 z' t' u) q! a+ ? 3 Y- L+ Q# c& b( [0 JLaufen 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.   n: f4 o) h! W2 p. r# {$ p The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 1 p* R& E; Z( y2 L1 w& O1 yThe 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. [Search:DCION

: S; M6 x+ _" j  [$ G

我喜欢的