Laufen Swiss Architecture tour4 Y8 K, A9 f. h0 t( ^+ m e" `
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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.2 _9 p+ g& |! m
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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.3 A! J9 _* o4 B& Z- d3 j
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.% r. b2 }8 O$ x* g; V8 w6 t
( a4 C+ ^0 R* u5 x4 C O! YIts 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. e0 j/ X) x( z, w8 P" H* {, \
* M# O% n, s$ y, D2 W- }The 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.
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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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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.) ^+ N# ~% D* f" }- u
+ E! e) T/ m9 JThe 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.
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& a4 V8 g8 g: g* \. @, XThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.( P X6 k7 @: o* w. s: C& T, h; V( q
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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.! [# ]. }/ C1 [& d! A
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