Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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.% _ k& \: T- ^( c
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- S$ V; w/ {( k: CThe 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 ^, J& |$ d3 z2 r! t* }8 ?. |* `
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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./ S) `: B1 h$ u' P d" |& R
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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0 ]9 x+ F! P% ?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.1 Z7 n% q8 p4 n/ K! C; M" v
0 I( v4 E& |( g6 z4 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.
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3 r8 }8 z4 L6 B# qThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.
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7 ~' W4 }! J5 L7 o# @7 hThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.2 k4 o ]* {; R9 Z3 I: O, |
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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.) p$ t* Y3 o# I a/ C) u9 e
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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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& W; D( D# }$ i& VThe 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.0 L/ x2 q/ H6 g
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