Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 9 R' ?6 s5 x  d9 p, L+ a + R8 R- f# j  u& ?" g  N3 } ( a8 F4 _. ~* }7 ?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. ; s3 ?, f% w1 o1 d; Y+ W4 q* C. R[/url] ! x, H7 d2 p( DThe 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. ' c( `) f, C; t; M' S4 b % q3 [; Y: s+ p+ X- J1 l) DYou 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 y1 O& T! c! @; y9 N1 O8 \9 r The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 9 q5 A; J' d( t4 ?7 D/ O! s6 TIts 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. 4 A( n# z/ v9 L. n; b3 wThe 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.   g9 N, ^4 r9 P& u & |. E/ D0 e1 M& rThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 5 D, C3 ?& D; I8 Q; F, Y 3 ?5 z; u4 A: _( F' ~( ^+ qThe 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. " l" P5 q' s% B, J0 O * G" y+ y& c! ?  K5 WThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. - s+ c* V+ U' s* U# g# w  j 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. The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ' F, E- w- F7 r* w- k# G( ~( CThe 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. 8 c2 k. ~, s$ D" x5 P[Search:DCION . a! s; h( N# ?! h4 A3 z/ ]! u% v

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