Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 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. [/url]   w. E' |) a; {9 j5 ^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. 9 T8 ?% a1 O; g' p3 g" H 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. The 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. 5 I& b; z( H" T( A0 f5 Z- C0 d# ^2 VThe 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. 0 ^' Z* a2 K$ e5 u- FThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 1 Q7 |$ H6 p8 I1 S) I; I * a' J8 d5 k4 Q+ t% `* XThe 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. 7 a4 V5 Y# X, b3 Q" `9 t* U ! v/ W; E1 p, \4 F+ w& h- R* _The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 4 O* _5 d0 m& _9 J! @! \5 ], x 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. 8 S* Z9 h6 C( q! N3 H 4 u  ?5 ^3 u" w& C/ q' }4 lThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. " c5 \1 x) B' z2 o' g; F% ~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. 8 ?5 h, N& Z8 O8 y[Search:DCION   D4 Z0 Q: X; _# Y& g; ] # G6 h$ Q4 X2 r

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