Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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$ B9 A7 @4 u3 DDezeen 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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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.; }0 S- T1 A5 {% { X+ Q, ^* ^

0 }! h6 c1 A) n# J6 y4 oYou 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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) }& z- n- O* ]9 Q$ y$ p: w; H% w( {& O+ uThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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5 C; G+ v" e, ?: JIts 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.; G6 z- v/ m% M# V* b% w, ]
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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.1 k8 F6 V" ?, i. X% f
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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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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./ C8 t% O& U1 _# ^
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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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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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% r, C% w; R0 b" a" d! q+ y6 aThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.( ^9 }* B5 k& y& T* \* S% m

" Y' y& D& {) Q- {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.4 q- {- A' d- d, h0 ~6 L- M
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