Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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5 u# J- q# O* {7 K) ZDezeen 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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! m; {( I( z$ h" B6 Z2 oThe 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.( S' B( m) x2 n
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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.( F5 v( m/ C5 @+ u
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.# B3 ?* j; W: x$ L
% s5 Q5 h' j2 w' i. 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.% Q' ?: S' Z/ y, J& Y/ R
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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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3 f. O0 I) g6 a' ?. dThe 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.% ]: F( c& T6 w5 P) j* j5 K( b+ i+ h+ D
) S7 x# O& f0 `The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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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.
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8 A8 {0 {5 N8 z9 EThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.4 A# x* C# J- r* x
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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. E2 P v* A/ u' Y7 E
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