Laufen Swiss Architecture tour / V0 r  V% b) F; q+ v 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.   M- T6 e. y! \6 ]- w+ }0 w7 K% b ' n$ w, N; P( x+ l* Y/ H[/url] 7 w1 Q. |* P* {* x  lThe 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. 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ( o+ v6 s2 T' E/ o" [  }; K5 n6 Q/ t , n" ^+ X9 a( j0 g8 G! |& `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. ; L" k3 d2 X' Q; \2 `5 N! @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 N% j" o' d( P: ]9 ~/ E 0 g2 o5 T! S" s) F, E6 j9 `5 O  nThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. / y# D+ Y6 w  V8 T  |( c2 B+ ?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. # R  Y! s: y* l. wThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. : m3 ~5 r/ y# |* b 5 s1 |( d2 f. p* E3 Z8 ]# RThe 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 2 _. L8 b; V4 o) d# Z 2 X. t% P: U( @9 R# a

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