Laufen Swiss Architecture tour " A" ^3 V9 i0 t' s 9 C4 b6 m% K: N) J* z- A 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. * |/ R' }1 U. R# }( U[/url] 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. / t5 O* ~- Y; [+ Z* t- i 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. 3 X* t" p9 m" W; V, t: gThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 0 S# F4 X" f9 C( ]' M/ P, n3 H1 g 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. 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. & s% M: ~+ j1 [8 MThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 1 L; u( u+ f- u 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. r  x& z0 z. L; G4 r% Y 7 N( U$ i7 F$ V0 P/ JThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 2 ?$ E) G5 d: I  z% ^* j/ j 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. $ q! D5 h: R1 a* k # }0 j. Y# w7 f3 l5 A/ FThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. . h( S, X: d  Z$ N! H3 o: O- 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. [Search:DCION 6 k9 p7 J: H. @+ @7 _* W ( O) f7 V2 A+ e% {

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