Laufen Swiss Architecture tour4 F# y% Z8 m" O+ U
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, n+ F+ A+ s) B" u9 L5 jDezeen 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." q9 `- L3 U0 ^3 H
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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.2 b1 ~3 ~/ a' X) W
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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. \8 x* s* M5 N) V1 Z
+ h9 O3 Q1 W9 r- i5 Q# r. E& zIts 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.; S' G7 E! m/ C3 p+ g
( u; V2 N! x5 K) V/ hThe 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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& G9 ?3 g. V$ b/ G: b5 T2 DThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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6 u7 L+ I6 |0 y, a' 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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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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1 P+ \& @: V6 v/ L8 q/ r3 sLaufen 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.7 b( v( T9 Z5 ~( |4 \* ~ O% G; P
9 K. q% r) s4 N6 X; \# IThe 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.+ N/ i2 f+ N/ y) N" `5 w! D$ B9 e
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