Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 e- l R3 ?) [' t2 n* j) u
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}, {7 A( J/ c8 S# c0 mDezeen 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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- u& T) e/ p7 o M! v0 e! yThe 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.# i5 j% e$ Y9 x
3 u, B" P: h5 y, j' T; S( U1 V5 TYou 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.7 B' z" Y3 _5 W" o3 h" p7 r/ ?6 M
& j/ R2 ?- O; m1 t- @3 KThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre., U* U$ A4 o [" M5 R
; y1 x9 a# i* l+ @$ G6 g- T) RIts 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.; S4 m7 {+ Z' c3 B4 T
* X9 c7 L+ G' |# w J3 N" TThe 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.5 s* l4 e; E* j) \2 _
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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- v2 w" }6 ]" W3 z. k8 d! q2 W, @& l' KThe 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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# p: x d2 J. q, `The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.7 A' E5 K1 C8 C4 D7 ]
% }. i J# S k* g3 ULaufen 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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8 |7 Z8 [0 f0 Y) J) h9 M' x3 FThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.+ p s2 r: ~( j. }- d
' T# z) B& }+ e: v9 N0 _( [- XThe 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.3 Q! ]& M+ |/ w# @3 V! B/ a
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