Laufen Swiss Architecture tour# |9 ?6 q7 f/ c* M) N
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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.8 Y* k2 _4 }- ~
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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.
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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.) E- E, r! f" B! T& E$ s
7 o& O. x: ]3 F* x: q& f7 e- vThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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." C t" v7 b4 ?2 L. ]6 b2 `% o" ]
% v6 L5 r: g4 gThe 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.* r9 {% T$ n- s2 V4 ]' I$ K
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.& b* {$ }4 ~: L3 A8 ]
' b2 P5 d2 c' p8 u/ K4 [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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5 t2 }5 ^# s J' d' wThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.0 k% v# f" n6 h5 D; P
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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.( L' w& e4 H) W6 I0 |! p# S" _
' k( I0 h) V: @& Z/ G$ i* cThe 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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0 _1 F( w# `0 c! `# ~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.! `# b/ ^$ T! ^3 w0 e
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