Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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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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& O3 d1 y9 z" o. o0 ?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.5 F! }3 K) D1 Z) H
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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.8 q: Z& `# r* W4 [% g. o, o6 T K+ u' q
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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' v+ |, D( [5 v# BIts 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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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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* ?* J; q+ n9 F f0 F c6 iThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.7 V; Q# q8 Y4 p: V6 ?/ m+ F' H
) l$ K3 l9 _: ~) rThe 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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' h2 \, z) R3 }$ ]* tLaufen 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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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 M! R+ D! Q) i( ] F' S, G. y
/ a' }' P8 M" }; B! W( rThe 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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