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./ W; N8 {; I& ~: o" O7 U4 _/ Z
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& \/ ?& `( l6 R3 y+ lThe 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.+ D' x! s/ U8 P* B
9 Z# k( U0 V) G* @ @" hYou 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. R! }* k g( |6 }8 K
1 q3 T$ H. y/ ?2 | b& HThe 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.+ U; P( f* @. b; [8 `7 @2 I& p
2 ]9 _9 ~& ]* t8 H4 V# `* UThe 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.! s9 b' V8 h; i7 U4 Z
( A$ U' i. ^8 T8 @- T" P0 F* nThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.+ \- b' B; W4 v
* m, x* @( [; lThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.+ E0 h( ?: `( }. w
- Q6 U1 c1 T( W; X% M' j, c) \7 MThe 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.
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