Laufen Swiss Architecture tour , Q6 x, R, [$ _3 j / J% j0 K& s& U2 wDezeen 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. 8 s$ L4 R) ]+ X$ Z [/url] 5 E( y& E. T: @; GThe 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. 8 Z1 b  q5 V6 s/ |+ kYou 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. 5 B! M! k2 ^) {- }  `( s& d. { : P( G5 y  a$ }; C1 t' NThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ; k3 O0 j/ I" b1 @# q ( M- E" r/ ^+ X0 J' C8 c& }7 hIts 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. 5 B4 i. R5 @5 z; U0 D. YThe 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 B# k8 s9 Z3 v1 u4 p/ VThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 5 p; ?4 r- k; N9 B$ V3 m$ X $ O8 ^% m7 D) }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. ' z& U' q$ f, z. R5 `. \ The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 0 L' m) n: w1 \$ z( P 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. 5 U/ c' F/ I4 CThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. + Z* Q, C2 C8 p* H: d 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 . L) z& M" E' [% z% l: N

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