Laufen Swiss Architecture tour( F' S0 W5 m" C4 l) v
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. A+ c, V4 j: O3 Z( U" u0 X# QDezeen 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.7 ]) t5 q! C" I5 ?. w) Z
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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., g( j `3 p* A3 m
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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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.2 F: l. z% S8 m7 K6 _
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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.
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, y! _; ^, M! d) p% o, Y) gThe 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 ]- ]3 |; J/ X
3 k5 E" L3 }, WThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.* b/ q" M+ d% C4 _+ c+ g
" K9 {; m4 \" X6 DThe 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.
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, g# g1 ?% k! c4 R, mThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. g! S3 R0 X$ N8 g$ y# q
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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.
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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./ r6 S: D; B/ z2 [! t
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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.+ i1 H! b, G; \4 e1 [
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