Laufen Swiss Architecture tour9 p- c5 t! {9 ]/ M& V' Z
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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.
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: C( B0 r; f1 O" c1 K0 o% u1 qThe 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.. b& F3 A( C9 G* ?+ A) G& v
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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.: T* i3 o4 c" i
* S$ G8 Y' I0 n, u' j5 Z7 V7 k) dThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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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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[8 Q! [* b6 a# `5 N) m" G4 xThe 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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ?( S) t$ k! R+ _! J" o6 V k% W1 P$ G
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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.+ c& S- E( l u% q" `, r& k* P5 y
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.6 g2 q! [8 E1 l: n, ?( _$ ?% j6 z f$ s
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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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* y+ z5 M$ t# v$ c; X/ eThe 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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8 E4 E9 c, G! i" hThe 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.
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