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. 8 _2 T5 a- P0 _% j . v* w, _3 X' y: x[/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. 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. 4 A6 i3 F8 D" H, q The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 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. , j! L+ K8 z* `" u) U( p6 K) ^ , @7 U3 ]1 T$ i$ _- aThe 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. ' n4 o/ o. e( i; ~! c3 T4 Y / K% @; N4 ^  t' eThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 7 ]+ Q$ v8 u1 i* M 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. 2 P! T9 k1 H6 r8 k- U! J& o : \. b- B! W5 ^) QThe 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. # e2 d$ b( F: ~4 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. ( |, S  M+ P4 x( \" `" ~4 T! P 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. [Search:DCION   s. t) p0 i& o5 `' p/ C / O! B, ^( I( x' u7 S- S   c( }+ ]$ U4 |& V0 K0 C

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