Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ' ^3 K# D6 Z* o% v2 l 5 b& k) `% y$ O3 p( u8 E: [5 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. [/url] 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. 4 D1 p2 s8 Z9 H0 x, j0 [8 Y+ D 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. 7 u# s8 {& k/ x8 {- b" y6 Q The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. : ^8 u- C" t3 y( U9 d 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. & h1 p+ X2 Z* ?9 U 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. 9 Y0 t% g* i+ N' j# `; v ) B- e/ G& U! v0 sThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ' L8 i( Q7 E# l; D" n * N' V$ g6 d' w$ k; \( mThe 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. ' R& N$ l1 M3 d+ S; l2 r1 Y; N& W, t 5 j+ n" K9 @4 K/ q" n/ k6 Y- U; jThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. $ U, C2 R+ _9 ]- c9 c% ^ " {. x1 Q8 W! D* o/ aLaufen 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. " E5 C: t. C5 |The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ! f- H% O' @2 l& O- T+ f4 n/ \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. , Z2 F( F6 C2 i# v# b. P[Search:DCION : f+ |2 _. }; T! n/ ?5 B: O" T/ Q ! Q- r2 C3 ?1 \4 D6 Q* u; _

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