Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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B+ p( J$ p. x. A( f0 k* JDezeen 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.1 I7 |; t2 D7 B a6 w$ y
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: Z2 |0 H4 R5 G) I7 q1 xThe 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.
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2 o: o2 p$ [; |/ T/ p, {The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.* V/ {9 d2 g# U2 q9 p+ p# H; ]
/ f& _! l9 x7 p0 wIts 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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6 ` `1 }, i! j5 ?# p- H1 VThe 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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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; J/ R: d2 ~! J0 C: T! a/ p9 E$ j- ZThe 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.- {* x; Z' `% A; ~; |( G: V) M
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.7 h& X4 ]3 W: ]1 L5 C
% P) {9 }1 w+ z- t) BLaufen 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.5 ^. {# h d8 B/ v# n
3 V8 j7 R6 c% v, HThe 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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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.7 @; R* \& A; f
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