Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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! u) H$ m' e8 f' a* l3 z4 _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.3 E1 O# F* P' P6 R
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. {7 K$ k4 ~ M. qThe 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.3 G- f; q' }3 \# e* a
& J) z0 }% L( T5 ^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.9 e7 Q$ G) ?: Q
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre./ g6 h) h% y; V W* a/ u5 i
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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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# S. h3 O" I3 aThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.. x! T2 @6 ~# @1 w8 K
1 \ H, C! u3 L! M; SThe 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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.* H s; e7 {. } a2 {) W' o
7 |0 l: }) a3 l" B: o2 k1 ZLaufen 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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6 p8 j+ y8 a) {1 U: B1 \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 E% `" w3 p1 N
* a. M4 H7 p/ k! Z' |7 G2 mThe 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.: s3 D5 s% H5 j; L8 ^
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