Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 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. : Y7 \2 G7 i3 ?7 b( K8 z+ Q + O6 ]1 k3 x+ `5 U0 m$ r[/url] ) L, u# K" |; [6 gThe 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. " @2 z0 I- V  G 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. % x5 y0 H* x6 B; G" H) M+ F The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. , E9 U0 O  _6 L0 G7 X% a- w  w7 V; s 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. . T0 x3 p, F* E/ B, ^! I. H " c, b8 _9 O6 F4 C: |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. ' K/ E3 |& t2 n$ s. j5 g The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. , [! j  Z0 c' A; Q 5 s7 f9 H6 U! G( h4 q. G6 g0 \9 M/ U" iThe 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. " X4 {' }' \/ P2 W8 V1 y The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. 2 t! e+ M( A6 }1 _The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. * n1 a) T0 `6 j& |2 k$ B& u& [/ } 9 R$ r0 c3 v5 [- H, f4 Z2 QThe 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. [Search:DCION , N" l2 S2 I: N7 y 0 f# P6 A' ]9 p5 P) R 4 B0 D; n$ U* J( B' f8 ^

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