Laufen Swiss Architecture tour4 J: y) A* s* d/ @
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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.+ D0 z5 S5 E9 x3 f7 R
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: n; y1 B5 ~! N# K) [2 ~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.% \& {7 r5 Y9 J* {
: I& q+ m" ]; R8 B' XYou 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.$ e: J3 N( q0 i5 t5 _/ L% d Q# y
" V/ o2 I P! Z1 m% sThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.$ A. g& G& X# }& Y
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Its 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.
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7 _( c! O* _9 e0 {) L z& n. XThe 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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.7 [8 t3 _# `) |9 X5 ^ x
! S. n/ U7 W \% I& T5 ZThe 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./ V0 c7 g$ `' O+ h
! o6 b' p( u0 `7 b/ V+ \6 H" p9 uThe 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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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.5 s: x1 X( Z" X0 V: k* g
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