Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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* V; y& a/ q# s3 X+ dDezeen 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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: g6 J% J9 V; s& RThe 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. P" \, A1 i7 B# s% ~/ g4 X
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 t( M" `3 C8 C5 U

* [- c% K7 \* a- dIts 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.! X% t/ W! W) Z. y

+ @* d( Z6 ?( bThe 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.: i5 j. }+ i& y2 s- M8 b7 d- Y- u

. X0 j4 |& w0 NThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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0 t/ g( c8 ]& V" wThe 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.) k* L* k6 u' |9 ]/ X7 s
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.6 o1 E* Y3 i$ U N* @0 x B. b

/ p2 r7 k* X" T" OThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.( T% {( G1 U; u( u! x$ N+ b. F0 ^
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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." I: [0 @) {% [- X- v( a
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