Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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( u) C' [2 P5 I/ n' iDezeen 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.: \+ q- k( d: F* ]+ P
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/ }$ N! D$ p% ~2 h8 w/ P. ~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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) p0 g7 M: O1 E' k& {% r5 C) m3 m, {8 fThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 _! b/ r; U i* E$ L

5 C; ~1 v3 d% d# V* h7 AIts 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.7 ^6 r8 d _, K1 S

$ D, z; \! U" n5 x P3 |4 qThe 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./ U- G; ?' N# ~( k% L; i3 \
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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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( j/ s/ E4 M2 v1 MThe 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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& \: y9 G: P% t o& xThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.. _; h( g! B0 A4 w
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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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9 Q3 @( G0 _. E' U6 T8 f @The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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6 B. a& o. {2 s n+ Z4 mThe 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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