Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 @: R& T! z9 E" O
2 n* H) H& K5 m& h
3 G- N0 ~5 H2 F; l; `- s! sDezeen 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.
$ _" M" B7 Y6 t9 V8 P' R( F& }% o8 Z8 l+ B f4 K+ L5 N1 h
[/url]/ K, Z# a! z* l) Q
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.8 l, k7 F2 ]' B2 B' D
 + J* H$ j- a/ J* L$ T! S( N# r
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.
% U. |* I2 r2 p9 V4 @9 D; V& `- ^ $ g* F" V W( z6 }, B7 ?+ ]
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
+ F" o, [1 N1 [- l & M7 U$ A& R" A x9 c1 q- A! N
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.0 l5 V a/ _% ? b1 H. o+ j
 3 K3 F6 n7 E$ {) V3 j( r. K
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.
Q' B1 T& Q8 C2 L4 R% t8 A
% k4 L% h6 ?$ N( Z- o- j, hThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
& O% N: q2 [% l G) I5 V/ t ) W# m3 K. ]) b0 A
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.& t/ B6 c, }% C7 D8 s7 @' ^
 ) M l* u* j" l- t P
The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.: ?% r9 E" _2 d; M
* C3 I2 {) f; F2 G4 L3 LLaufen 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.
) I7 {: R4 t+ I2 A0 N k: l* U : f( N5 I/ h6 w2 U9 d( a
The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.( R+ D( E/ w) T2 O0 }) G' H
' h4 H4 a7 O" N7 EThe 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.
* v+ O2 `& k) R. M W& s[Search:DCION
; [+ X2 k- ^7 Y) T- T $ P& b) T7 A& D! M" `" [
" l8 N* ~! U7 n! P
5 z/ t# [& o/ U; A) S |
; S! t P' Y. ?+ [7 `9 ]9 ?6 h4 q6 M9 l% F! F
|
我喜欢的