Laufen Swiss Architecture tour - @0 h+ m0 w2 F8 U/ \: U" d9 n 5 {3 ^# ]$ w3 D: gDezeen 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. / Q3 L' ^/ I6 d+ I1 u 0 R& s. [+ _, P4 I0 ~3 L7 m) ~[/url] . i: m) u* T8 mThe 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 @5 T' [# r  I  r, eYou 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. 7 y) n$ ]& ?4 vThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 5 F2 T( ]2 M2 W. a: T* RIts 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 ]% h/ ?7 p* W9 L2 P & J9 W0 X6 y% E' y- U+ l! fThe 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 2 k. ?. I; B3 a6 W 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. # ^. C! P8 ]( A5 PThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 0 @- m' ^4 `, }' h+ RLaufen 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. 6 T: ], ^0 T) M/ u" Q $ H0 ~( }+ W2 c( f* R0 I4 SThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. , H) ]% z; i' Y# _/ V . D/ s. e0 o7 Q1 F* L# wThe 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. [Search:DCION 1 }* u% S0 x2 h1 a" g4 a. v

4 s) c) J: ?5 }  }

我喜欢的