Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
) ?- F7 ?( w: g' i* P& y) U; j& |7 |0 e# s
 9 W3 V% ^7 Z1 q; t8 n/ W
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.% D, a. Z1 f: Y2 U% X6 G
" Q2 ]8 G+ b4 b[/url]+ N+ I5 L/ G' y. V$ X
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.
- H4 k5 i2 v' P w% m# t# d 3 P4 |$ J& l$ ^7 L1 ^; o/ V$ t
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.- e8 ]' r/ n* {; g2 t+ D3 w
 2 j1 C6 P2 e2 K$ M+ x2 M
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. E) Z! @2 d5 _. Q! Y: G: [; ^4 Q8 Z
' v8 L' h9 t. W L) }- l y3 PIts 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.8 ]" K- R6 L& T: W8 `( h
. M' k5 P+ W( ]4 lThe 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.
) ~: d0 s; t ` % t* m) {. q1 B# [7 z
The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.3 W9 s" a# b+ V. b' y& B
3 N% x& N: q9 q' |- mThe 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.3 h" c+ O4 x) S& p" C7 R; |# b
 g3 m& w+ }: c
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.( j% W. V$ P5 `! s
* V" c3 E& N \ eLaufen 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.
% `- t9 J+ _) g( i5 c5 t
9 B6 _, f2 f a; m" q% xThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
, u9 P; n# D( r ( h+ K7 @! Y2 }
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.: m. t" `( \+ d- V
[Search:DCION$ Y# y5 S9 o. U3 e) v/ P
 * U) {# G/ ^, `/ O2 L; M
) p8 o' ^/ e; h1 a& r; e
) l f7 @2 M/ P. E7 H2 r |
1 _9 G% ~( H" }- D
' T9 G5 D( c+ l# w! v* k
|
我喜欢的