Laufen Swiss Architecture tour - a7 w" n, O9 ]2 h/ z% x $ X6 E9 _/ G% G/ h- `  D" a/ lDezeen 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. ; O/ p2 R& t8 G1 d[/url] 9 Z3 g6 [+ m! G7 x4 UThe 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. ! {) C8 t$ P+ X" }. E/ |' t 6 d$ X. [0 Z+ @2 D8 _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. 9 D2 z& E3 m; T  R , e. ^& c- {8 _3 J/ b5 N2 s1 T- gThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 9 Q* @* d. R) Z) y! T, [$ q 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. & z. Z+ Z. T, ^ 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. ' ^; s6 N2 S% U3 V5 }The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 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. $ o) Y, T4 B' K* {) }' r The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. * b0 |: F4 }3 M+ l* I& W. Q + f) a5 p1 y3 x* a+ ^: ~9 wLaufen 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. 0 c/ k  n; M, }) n9 I% ?+ V % d2 C3 W% @4 P) ]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 F6 }/ D: i2 ]- L% v. ]+ ^0 q 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. # j0 b" C" K0 s# v/ A' q5 T) e# R9 t[Search:DCION 2 [' v- G) Y% T! {2 d" f ) w% W7 i+ J" [8 b6 |" }

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