Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 8 k  |) K  H5 T0 V* A# W . f+ t! `2 ^' } ' C4 U* o/ {/ HDezeen 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+ ]: H8 v. i4 b* ?, s; e[/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. ' [3 N; a9 f6 J4 l 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. 5 N) W' H. y- w. g3 t1 [: s( b4 E The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. # e1 _9 J, m* ]& `& R* F7 c! V1 a 2 b+ h+ s" A0 M, @# M6 BIts 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.   e1 x7 v1 o/ B1 x& _$ GThe 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. $ ~6 ]  t, @4 ? The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. % k7 c0 V, x% n6 g/ D( b# U 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. 9 R$ |% |  l- y5 g ; B5 d4 l. D: {( P  q) W& RThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 7 }0 a& U4 G- ?/ b' g) G3 j - r3 \5 P5 _( s, A  E6 P7 T% FLaufen 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. 3 D0 W' u. v; _" y( w4 A " _) n7 F' d& Y# B: P; F/ RThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 0 E. C* W# c$ ]8 B   q5 x* y/ s$ F7 z* BThe 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. 6 A3 t" U; _, {8 X[Search:DCION + i% L& }% j$ g0 I6 v4 J$ u ; N) n  }, r2 g" z& M( L" o * G* ~6 z7 X! w8 S5 T/ N& g/ N

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