Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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5 C8 k' j2 e: p! RDezeen 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.
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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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& W) s. g; r- B) B4 F' O8 M- SThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.$ Z3 c5 N8 o' n
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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.) Y: S2 t4 V% ?* Z8 O& N
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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./ F2 H+ E3 b" a# E2 d
. v7 m5 }6 @8 Z- `7 ?# w8 d$ _The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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' d# [: n8 a( R9 a& 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.
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% P% G6 Z) A l" q! {The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.5 \1 z d0 P+ H2 T
9 i0 `# K0 f+ h$ S* r+ ~, n4 hLaufen 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.; x" I1 y C! |! ~) F. R8 _
' H/ T1 K$ ^3 x: [/ r8 d; zThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.2 \0 m: p+ c( S6 v! r
# c8 n* {7 O" J: a6 K! Z! BThe 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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