Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 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. - f+ K( o$ [& \[/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. : \5 r( {# B5 X ) {" t8 T) t+ j# TYou 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. ! N+ n: w& b: h/ v1 `9 s9 b + x$ u3 T, M8 [1 J0 B6 {) B3 A3 j5 tThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 9 t2 i! k1 J7 q# p ' z) y( l$ l2 W$ T4 G6 R7 ~. BIts 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 X* }4 p2 ~- U- S( q7 i1 \   n& h" C5 E+ D0 l7 a0 N# y2 x( HThe 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. 6 t( r' C, d9 h* H1 W/ S- t, v* d9 pThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 5 ~3 r4 |0 j3 @7 a+ R" S 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. & d' Q6 Q; u+ I; m 3 s: R* _0 c2 P, ~, h- {1 AThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. % U8 Q! z1 x0 t  T* ~" \7 d, W 4 [% f4 n* ?2 y7 x$ \! 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. , N* I. f1 L+ Z- V& \* M3 w The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 8 L  R3 ^4 q# [/ GThe 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. [Search:DCION 1 T' y/ O& r7 Z) t % w; V4 W: P! i5 P 9 ?% T' c7 t, z

我喜欢的