Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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1 `* E# Y7 a5 ?# y r1 d% TDezeen 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.- e5 h4 c4 o) p" g' K
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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.1 e" V2 ]3 e. X
2 M1 G7 g: }' R" e4 A+ b& n" GYou 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.# I1 s3 N( p3 O4 v$ ?
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 Z& z. y9 h; c8 e0 G
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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.$ A9 `5 e: {" m; @: n+ j
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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., ^* V1 i& D) ^' t9 i
5 M/ m6 R8 Y3 ?3 M5 [' t/ L' \The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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( W/ F5 b; c& U* J! B( r1 C1 Q) X; }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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.7 l1 B; O9 Z+ L0 |9 S& x8 u: F: U
* L M$ s& [( G. |5 H8 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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2 z8 \3 _: | hThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding., x3 \) |+ s- D& k6 n
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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.6 r# p% `6 J2 `
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