Laufen Swiss Architecture tour( w$ S, t$ n! Z) @% R
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Y3 ^, z8 V* vDezeen 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.4 o2 A; U% M- \ g4 ?* [4 c( S3 V
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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.
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4 k1 u; N4 l5 q1 t6 }The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.! m* Z1 q' n& `# N$ O1 O
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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.
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$ v, {' n) O( Z9 Y8 ~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.+ l W5 L" L# B4 i, J* h
2 X/ u, k+ ]; DThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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: h7 V6 a. C) B) E% BThe 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./ H9 q# ^$ }2 s. k, N5 S2 F( u
' ~! s' H8 [! }1 a% S( NThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.& i" j Z% i% G5 o3 H- G
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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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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding." p" B2 F+ |/ a. S( s
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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.( j( N3 u( y4 |- j5 B; N/ L* S
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