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., w& `4 {' K2 O4 Q
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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.
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% g1 Q, S4 w& {* iYou 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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 l! @4 k' b$ n- O2 G9 W% k6 `$ I
# d/ I) y. \8 f, Q( m3 FIts 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.
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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.) M2 i* x7 b" x: a5 K" b
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.& N7 {! r! U- d' a% [ p0 P9 p$ M
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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.' m( r- H% n) `. S( d
" c5 J* v( N. ~/ L/ ]) _) yThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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" e5 |, W g' i- ZLaufen 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.0 \5 N: \1 N4 D/ x0 p" o
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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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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.- E# f1 `, V+ y2 F3 a" a
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