Laufen Swiss Architecture tour1 M( k2 H, C# i! `5 c$ w7 R
8 ~. _" U9 L3 P: f( i ]. [: x : z" ~& s) ^1 q' [/ R- {
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.7 ~/ o7 V i4 \+ I. ?" L; o+ ^
$ t/ s+ ]- E) ]! q+ N5 @[/url]
& `2 p5 f& d4 F* d* A* P6 `( x$ p3 cThe 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.) [4 w8 Q. [6 T% w
) u% T! ?- n2 L) d5 H% L# LYou 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.
% s2 |/ O S4 _1 f- q7 u+ V; q
$ A+ V- H! l9 U' ~* M9 jThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.1 _& ^6 i) ?# [' N0 L9 X
1 R/ o3 \' p0 l) {& v: pIts 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.! e, o$ M# m7 W1 ~! |0 z/ q# l
 - r [2 d" \$ ^+ S
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.
+ x( M7 S3 I/ n: e( i2 R0 G
+ e! g8 c- b5 @" R5 z8 {7 QThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
3 F$ n& `# T% D: T+ e - h& c( e# q- t( S
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.
( ?( |8 t+ N/ @. Q! I1 [ " l Q' }# X' D7 f! a c1 j
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
8 w# C3 ^, J, |) w/ U 0 n" b2 ~' x3 Z3 c# l* Q9 f/ ?
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.; |. `, z7 N! }; l# f g$ ~
 9 e. ~! J. V& o. T) `0 E
The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.2 J7 i* `" t# r* h: A+ Z
/ `( g" S6 Q! {9 ~$ JThe 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.% |" I% \" {! a
[Search:DCION) Z3 [# ?3 l# `; R, _% N7 R
# x1 Z9 [2 S0 I% n/ X, n
& ]# a3 ~! _* k# W' W- E9 ~% s! V
; F+ u S0 b. A& L/ `% S |
; e' I% O, D4 u8 p& K2 c" b
8 h: s& F' ~# Z |
我喜欢的