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6 }6 r- ]0 v; Z9 V2 R8 \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.
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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.) R% ^9 k; W& J; j- h$ f( ^0 Q. m
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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.( X/ b; Z/ L0 D# l* m/ x5 V
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 j+ q5 }) d p- j' a" h
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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.
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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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3 X2 l9 Y8 M5 W6 a9 }! C8 RThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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0 c' a3 w$ K! c' I# w: H/ ]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. M7 }& f, ]" C/ e' C
1 n* A; z- P# i8 |, |The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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5 z4 m6 j2 n1 h2 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.
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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.% K- T3 T7 I+ ^$ a2 E0 S
9 h \: ~) w& r, c& 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.$ X/ `& ?# h1 X6 R
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