Laufen Swiss Architecture tour; j0 i: K P% \ n
# x" ^) {6 j2 W* R
) J( d: q0 V Y$ s, P; ADezeen 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.; Y7 U2 Y$ _/ g8 l0 p( Z# x
( B$ X6 Y0 t' Y: m, n$ @$ N[/url]- g x$ E/ @ \
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.5 z$ F3 u }- n
0 @8 Y) `. ~' ^; ]& ~7 i0 qYou 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.
J/ u$ w, G4 [ : B+ D, l E9 v4 @# x$ j' Z
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
' W* h. U% `# d- B/ f8 v, B; X 0 q9 C3 B- M- z) j3 I. Y2 C- a8 `
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.
/ l# u" ?3 g8 y/ {
/ s! J1 R B& i7 z: k9 KThe 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. ?, b: {/ [) s2 g
9 L5 l8 K/ A+ O8 mThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
9 p3 K) L" a( X# k% s3 F
5 r* ` X4 L' s# QThe 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$ R& H6 |( l1 Y3 h
, t! z/ D' h1 K* f0 Z- z) BThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
( A' Z \5 Y$ I2 h 2 |& V% m* p: B: X1 w) c
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.. g% d* G6 A8 ]1 j1 g
9 `& h- W0 N+ Q! JThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.- w0 K% [" G) }' u1 U
4 P& Q/ c# C! Y0 B2 FThe 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.
J& }* ?" a1 t[Search:DCION: x* x) b$ Y- k7 E9 S+ M1 F
/ I2 U& U' n' w# W I
) ?) e) n/ I4 e/ C( b0 `
. b' k0 M7 `/ k* `5 t! h |
, y9 L) N9 E" h+ G ?+ l& S
" g& n/ j7 [1 F S" R1 B/ r% N |
我喜欢的