Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ( Y8 g: E9 P9 z1 O: n4 G 8 `4 D: j, ?3 c9 J8 \  b" M& v 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. 6 N( z$ |. l6 T; Y0 K( W [/url]   l3 Y7 C, O) X' p5 BThe 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. 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. 7 F7 h8 p4 E' ZThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. * i$ r: r. G/ e' c0 i& }  uIts 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. : H1 ~4 p# t" B0 Y2 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 7 Y/ q, K2 N5 p2 F. P ; @$ I3 O* `" P# TThe 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. ( P- E+ d8 i; T The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. : U4 |% n0 P* Z% v2 qLaufen 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. 5 a5 _# m0 l& H + z3 h& m, k' p* \( bThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. # A; T+ M2 d3 o+ ]' _ 7 f' R% C! K% r: |5 ~5 z! zThe 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 9 E0 b" X& W* I$ Y  n2 V, O; L ! t4 ?; i; n7 `0 B! E% ?

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