Laufen Swiss Architecture tour# s [) O) V7 y6 E4 N. N4 S
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" @8 F4 v* z- R: Y/ b: F* nDezeen 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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0 O% ~' Y3 }* T" z. t$ y5 ]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.
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: W; q) G9 [+ T l( |4 X+ o3 EYou 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.' h3 n& ?) _0 D' _0 D! J
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre., n3 [, `. a5 v/ @5 S% L
6 t, j; l0 }) G+ G) qIts 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.. _1 M( P3 p, d) G& }- {* A6 k K
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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.
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.. k9 Z0 C% ~& n, 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.
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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.) g: \1 h4 m4 A' L( D8 ], s
) k) j; \; [1 v) _# m' L, |The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.5 I; {/ ?- M% e# P9 ?
1 l' u* d$ Q+ ^2 D# KThe 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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