Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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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6 w. W" x3 u2 @; ?$ q0 QThe 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.0 X4 [$ ?: p: V0 W0 j; s2 _
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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.# {6 l% Q+ p* L8 ^
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.: s) c* T+ e% J8 u2 Y' k
9 p G' A. |1 K* f0 G! c) N: T8 {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.
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( U, p( T E3 _, _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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R1 {: N1 |0 k; Q: A. \! f. [7 b/ k7 FThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.- M$ ~$ I* l! |3 |
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The 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.! C5 s: R9 B$ f' u( \( O
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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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: g' \ {; E5 C0 S RLaufen 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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* n! g! n8 Q6 m$ J2 E. l) MThe 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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9 q0 S8 u, R' ~% C: v2 RThe 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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