Laufen Swiss Architecture tour6 B2 \- ^% f" p6 |3 W- Y* ~( o, J
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% f" v( X3 E5 MDezeen 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.* E f* b; R, U, V% p
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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.4 P+ I3 v7 I0 X* D3 b! B
9 j8 [6 t* Z# k+ k8 d. d uYou 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.( B/ N; b7 C# R* c0 N! l+ {. \
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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5 t1 j, n3 V4 o9 t- Y: p* 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.) @* y( |7 k0 {( B0 s" f* i; b; }
; ^$ O; Q& Y' q. p/ RThe 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.8 S, B& h3 ^ E$ k
" s3 x6 M% F7 i8 X/ W$ v, g5 V @The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.- C' r% Y% k$ p/ Y8 d5 ]
& h7 q6 i2 V+ uThe 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.. ~. W2 g. A8 j2 ]# E
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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.
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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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1 y o! N- M& o. oThe 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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