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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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.; p: z8 e- V: O1 b! f
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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.2 r3 E6 {* I6 ^6 ?, R0 {) U
8 |6 J# D0 U8 j4 A) uThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. k; d8 t7 G8 J4 m; }% b
9 T8 [4 I& [! Y ~! |. @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.( u1 {" t4 z7 a" b+ T& }* p$ c9 u
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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.4 B9 O O1 N4 }- n9 O" G5 `8 m
5 L. A0 z( O5 u+ S- ~The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.3 Q, J: T( @9 U% v
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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.
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, }. c& Q; h/ _- H0 {' R& ZThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.3 n' [3 M/ I6 M7 @3 q v9 C- G
$ Y" n, `; T! l# e0 f( I0 `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./ f1 e! n9 d5 B# O/ h U& a9 P
$ H: x8 {1 [* T2 p3 FThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. K: D$ N% U' V' V6 Z/ \% o& c
. r0 b( R2 e' b4 FThe 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.1 B* {# G- [, W+ X' p
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