Laufen Swiss Architecture tour R' ~0 S. q3 I8 [2 R. ^ m
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X* t% m) x; p4 UDezeen 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.1 y& F7 d# E- |
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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.& A; N/ c$ R' C# H
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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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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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* g& u. j! T# 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. @3 Z' l! s g
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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.7 M: E4 r6 W* A! N; K
2 l1 j6 K2 f- I1 J! h6 H6 B( @. M M: bThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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a% P+ @- }. H4 L: SThe 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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' P6 s, _8 _" ?4 h |The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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+ q9 x* ?6 f- C; @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.* a) x7 Y+ H7 F4 X0 J3 j$ K
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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.) U1 I5 u" ~, d9 h! `
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