Laufen Swiss Architecture tour5 \' y/ |, V! Y% E3 o
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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. x$ o# h. Z2 ^: C( {! q
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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., X- L# O: A4 S# C
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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.2 e+ L* P; Y/ B3 L9 i7 k, `& w: q
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.1 m9 w e* k3 _" k/ h
Q+ E* ?! ?% d' T9 }$ {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.7 D' r# {4 r! J
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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.
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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.7 `/ L' I/ k% ^; K/ a: \
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.2 A/ E0 {' Y0 h& Z9 R4 G! j
6 ?6 A9 ?: M% ?3 p7 \( U7 l7 mLaufen 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.+ y, U4 l% x* V* m; g, T9 [9 M
5 m/ B+ y; f3 p, Q7 r" K L' K) JThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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# s- J1 w; @! v( e& x& yThe 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.( ?4 Q8 w2 r4 C' e
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