Laufen Swiss Architecture tour# R: F6 _5 w1 L3 k2 q
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t4 a+ X7 v4 h/ w; L* ~% x; yDezeen 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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0 t% l: n; i$ w/ w' qThe 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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9 W1 p" R6 n4 x2 K1 u4 c8 TYou 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., `- @7 V4 G' l" ~) Y' p
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.9 ?. o. w* i, V3 m- W
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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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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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.3 ]* {5 ]" u; d8 |* N' j
/ |/ T8 s! |4 V0 RThe 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.& H) z0 k6 P9 Q2 j
" f0 {( o$ q8 t; GThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.2 i0 n5 Q' Q& l, p$ {; B; W* [7 K
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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.7 v) M% Q: g) a/ V2 j1 [1 U
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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.& A$ c9 Z/ Y# E$ X( P" H& s. v! t
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