Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
$ d" {; X7 ]4 x; }2 ^% D# l3 s8 w' U/ r! O) R/ |

8 g% [9 V) `3 S$ h0 tDezeen 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.% {% @: b6 J8 v
" D9 ?# V6 q7 J- B[/url]0 ~; ~$ f& d! Q8 b5 }& o; n1 @
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.. N. z+ j; X) C: t" u
1 o( s* o& X1 C' M5 p# ^7 k
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. Z: v& q& ] m9 ~4 n2 J# V- f* h
" D- B0 ?6 w* \
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
. n9 F% L( ^+ L; u1 c. J - ^8 N& a8 e4 s" f; y; [& v
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.
* ]% K/ V4 ^% P0 e7 t
& k+ T- Y; Y0 f5 c! D0 TThe 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.6 u- r( ?1 m6 b
2 }- j0 D* Y2 T$ i0 p; q+ D* y
The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
8 X1 ^, u9 C. |* r& F
2 k% H9 l; `/ J% }# x/ o6 Y9 ^' PThe 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.3 R! _! u2 O7 D

8 \7 B- V2 O% h3 S: GThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.( b: j+ T. N# o
$ c p8 K, i$ O) o
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.- w& c; k- d$ G0 A( g, |- f

) n8 E2 @: J" s4 [4 i6 `The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
1 ^6 [, D8 ]! g1 i# D8 k7 k ( R5 K1 J6 u t x# F3 r7 Z
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.
& l+ I' }' g {[Search:DCION7 {* k, X/ u1 t1 ^5 t. L

3 {5 |$ V* |% b( e8 J! { e' c4 q
9 H* d5 u- M! N3 ?, d; B ^: C; J5 L
| - `9 |' L: y U' \ s7 \( c7 Q
+ q9 N+ H2 Q1 p3 o5 f* T5 M |
我喜欢的