Laufen Swiss Architecture tour- @ l+ Y* E! D4 n2 D( C
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' d( G$ r+ Q4 ~. Z! F/ fDezeen 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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" r" K6 z6 M. R" R, v/ d2 |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.
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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.
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* V. J& H2 _: H8 Z' {2 c+ F4 QThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.; H6 u; `/ b2 }' W8 s
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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.2 I- u- o% Y3 B& m5 p* n
' A2 ?8 D% c; W) p7 K5 ?/ iThe 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. {$ [5 @2 h) O3 A' p# _
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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/ D. O* i6 b2 u; V5 ? tThe 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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.' j) a& t$ N2 ?; S' S c+ C' d
: H3 ?1 Y5 L# j: S3 G- {* mLaufen 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.1 _* E, h+ `3 w F1 O
5 o( F- o; F& h# GThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.! j/ U3 a9 P5 q% K2 @. Y) ^3 u. N
0 d" F# Y1 o4 |" @5 ^% aThe 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.
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