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.* Z" |3 A3 A; @* P
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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 F/ T' i1 W! K
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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.6 `* k M9 ~$ y( v( G1 s
3 H) N. r: \2 fThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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3 l4 L3 k: e5 Z! XIts 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." v) h/ }7 I. `" Z( j$ q
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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.* J6 V& \. A1 \: R* a% g8 p* U
% Z; p E$ M t4 x) P, b" t& X9 HThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.1 M3 T, C* S: |! _ {, I
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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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; V) h' @$ R0 h) S d7 jThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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9 l" @1 N0 d5 s; J1 f+ d6 `/ ULaufen 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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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding., j- G+ J4 Q; g- D0 }
3 Q. E. y: U& VThe 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.9 n( ]$ \9 q+ x% q( D5 T
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