Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 8 I5 [0 `3 T8 c# [( F' m 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. & b# R+ v$ T% N: B9 [" c# J 5 B" i7 ~. y' v8 [/ p[/url] ! i6 |+ {1 n. CThe 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. 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. / m- W, E. P& L: h& R( P0 W6 w 7 b9 N# @1 U, E5 vThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 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. : {# m. I2 a0 f2 o' NThe 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ; J1 V; L& j8 CThe 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. " _  t# J7 N% [2 _5 W# fThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. # T- Z' c' k: I+ e/ 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. ' E2 Y# h( W' ]5 x% h1 D # j: o5 G) v: N- }: xThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 9 \$ G. C" Y# }! p0 r 7 Z; e  P! a. l: _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. 2 g* V/ f3 c4 s1 T8 W+ j[Search:DCION % w- |, ^/ r+ {5 E9 o! {. y& _5 ?( a. y. c # Z3 p; N( i8 V' K

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