Laufen Swiss Architecture tour   s% Q1 K8 P) T/ `. t' V3 u 2 `" [$ m( m1 R2 W: Y# l( W% x 7 H% a: M; s) ?1 B+ W5 s1 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. ' i; H# j* l: d! Z   T5 Q% h* }' {1 a! t& S0 V[/url] % \9 [: [/ O" G4 [3 NThe 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. + [$ ?; ^( k) L* e; g 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. 9 }% }' D/ R# K4 m; v$ h, @ + }& ~' h( G. q0 N* x7 U* g7 bIts 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. 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. 8 C2 M/ u% ^! R6 b; V8 Y / u+ V3 m4 w  I, ?" ?0 vThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 2 s5 ~! D% v6 G% \9 J 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. $ i: X4 q3 B& q4 s% R) ~- @ The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. ( [( a! u3 t( K9 C) ~6 ~0 gLaufen 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. ; i5 h# [) C) L2 ~9 P: a 5 a+ Q3 }, l, A& ^% {7 ?( N0 ]The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ! n; i$ |& S1 S/ o$ U 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 3 l! w% R% G5 B4 p6 X. |* E& h. s - n2 s- }: t# y2 C% E/ w

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