Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ' h$ \0 t1 _) Y' Z & S6 L' U6 c" P: I+ l1 K 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 p. a) L8 P1 m& c0 i2 i8 [1 b0 D7 m% }: ` [/url] 2 Y+ ^' m8 K, ~" }4 NThe 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. + c0 [# D) x  Y) B $ ~3 h1 E9 q: w+ h7 CYou 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. ( @! ^- F& v- L# V) ~/ `3 E# P % Y* w- q# R( T  `# b+ ~: p" y) QThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. . o2 v2 H( D  G8 M3 } 3 C; H* [3 Y/ w8 Y- MIts 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. " Q% v# B* W1 H/ RThe 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. & c: ^9 F/ u+ @! t3 {The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. $ K( c, f, h" W2 c3 j' d8 AThe 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. 1 @+ J: J+ j; T# ]2 q The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. : S* T* f  A$ O+ @6 }5 `! v" 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. 2 P3 l) ]1 f3 j: |# x; e The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. [Search:DCION 9 L# g3 p" ?0 w* u- Q9 B % v/ L1 ?8 `: Q# S" ?+ S4 ^ 1 H+ I6 x3 F: Z% @

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