Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 7 M: z$ r& l) I7 \* \) {5 w2 H % M  X! I, K' ~6 R0 }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. & q+ @& P1 `! f- z2 ` [/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. 2 s  M% R* D6 p) Q' A4 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. 8 R, Z) B( C+ U1 G 6 T! m2 F; o# s0 jThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ) a! a; ^4 G, N8 q  N , _* h; w' e4 L+ q1 \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. 0 `0 [) Z- r% r1 G+ |' j; x ) @  g$ O# T# \  c5 P0 ?: A5 eThe 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. 1 d! [6 ^+ e/ Q. z8 k: d The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ( v5 _% E2 O$ a3 F0 z8 x0 G , j- g8 Q' f0 b$ p/ `The 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.   G( X$ i2 `5 }+ }2 C9 |3 c6 Y- H6 J 2 ~' x6 [. y  x" J7 AThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 4 u. b/ Y* [! S) z % m/ ^, H7 e9 Q! J4 C5 ?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. + e' v+ A( e1 ]: H% u& q1 D: m1 L The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. " _: [# C3 ?  U. |% }" H, I$ b2 u 0 ^! `& u7 k" I( }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. * u  e/ M, k5 U$ k- N[Search:DCION $ g4 ]& ^+ |9 e: \ 6 o3 Y! y3 g; H. G. E* Y  [! _   i/ C& N# k6 ]1 o2 a6 C/ b1 ? ( H  v& O/ F4 x* a6 P

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