Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 0 u( A0 y5 z  S( g9 c . O' o2 w. S' ^& s3 v+ Z, L   B, o/ N0 w# s% b: E* A6 EDezeen 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. [/url] - r/ S* W7 s; ?3 ^; t9 gThe 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. . k4 h, }) P; f5 z / _4 l, j$ k5 Y$ MYou 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. + |8 Y- i  N7 ^6 y 6 i' j$ N* h/ g+ J! N! ZThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. + B- S& M0 j* A  }# _0 M; a/ U+ @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. 5 v8 w) d. W* x( B- W8 @ 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. ) I+ B' H5 C9 Q1 ?: @ 3 C' O9 P* l6 {# X) v) g9 Z& zThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. + [3 x5 F" }. h' e1 K 3 u1 m/ o1 j8 ~: p/ R7 A: YThe 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. ( s5 x  e+ q) V9 x1 O5 g The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. ( B8 ~7 s- \) X4 E1 L 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. * b/ j% g7 ]/ j& R! `4 c9 X4 V3 ?2 J" r 8 |/ r; W3 J) O4 j3 {The 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. ! S, i7 h( o9 z; i[Search:DCION & a! X- @) @, H, {* e/ m6 i8 H/ @ . W7 G% R+ j+ @/ d5 Z

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