Laufen Swiss Architecture tour4 P A) ^# H! M' Q7 f3 _% M9 m6 {
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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.5 R2 R4 ^; D2 Z$ h3 n
3 F& g8 [4 n- F% y" |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.; C" M0 w( V+ i$ b
, U; l/ ], r$ r" r7 _6 XThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.! ^- O. y" K. A( v0 e/ |
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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.: m8 \0 h$ [- w$ q. J- f6 N6 g
9 x+ K" Y7 C/ r) X; z! _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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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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* ~. V0 G% D& J f, B( ~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.! k; [2 U8 S5 K7 ^# N
. J. w" `- E+ n0 f5 a" WThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. p$ L. @/ |2 ~7 j, u7 {* k' L$ Y7 D
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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.
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" u2 D" N7 ~5 ^6 N+ {The 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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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.4 c- a4 E4 t; P6 [( @- d
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