Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 D) ~1 K6 f" ]8 m* Y! w
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! `3 U/ v2 N" N p" z! ADezeen 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.9 h1 }; c" O& \8 c* Y) n
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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. W# B" |! w- p: n0 u
% {$ b5 E8 E' e2 P% R3 O+ ?6 T# ]2 b, IYou 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.9 ]. t) j: D' ?) i$ B9 X$ \1 t
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.$ }* e8 f$ {3 g, U. v% v
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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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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 Y" G! A" k6 Z/ k3 b0 T
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.+ d$ L( X* J& n; r
, Y6 F. W! }1 J/ j" f+ ~0 {The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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% y# {' Y0 h: W8 x6 z6 JLaufen 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.: O4 c n. g2 g, ^& z
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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.7 z0 Q$ N' a8 B
0 V' }9 i( T0 v" x6 xThe 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.& n. v) @+ ?3 M
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