Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 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. 4 ?' F+ l+ ^$ Z [/url] 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. 8 A4 I' h( B! D6 r$ T9 D; w 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. . L( q# M% T) O 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. 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. * ~* u& ^, _: J $ D% Y+ E* @+ z; m1 k. _: Z2 rThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 3 E$ t0 b: n- U ) A; G3 J' {) L) \& nThe 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. # f% M0 n  S9 i, q! R' v7 V The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. . t0 J  _5 u# qLaufen 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. 9 \* f; N4 T9 g# gThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ' \9 m& Z# M5 s, Y- c0 T* F 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. ' X% A7 }) Q, c; g7 A. ~+ a4 R[Search:DCION

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