Laufen Swiss Architecture tour1 M: L# d* q; u H0 g
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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 v7 K! F+ R! F) j0 b2 r' j
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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.6 Z0 R2 a. U. q4 s9 b- \) @& r
9 S9 n& G9 A2 W" SYou 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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( I5 m! u+ w% o, dThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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7 K% l m" X+ I* J0 G% E3 CIts 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.% W( d9 q' P4 u; {0 d' i0 y
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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 W. I/ F' n* Y8 `
4 m4 M% `9 [8 z+ w1 T& FThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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0 B( ?+ o8 z! V+ g% T5 a; c% ~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./ E. D9 V/ G g& J2 T
. y$ _2 p# V$ j9 iThe 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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0 V& _" f& Z4 L" QThe 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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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.+ v/ o1 n5 k5 H3 s
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