Laufen Swiss Architecture tour - ?( k3 j& ~/ I) ?8 E. B; A# Q / D) W7 m/ r" G8 K, ~ 5 o2 E$ o, n8 R- FDezeen 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. + W) P, M# V; b 0 e+ m& k3 h( {9 I0 v  w9 x% `2 P[/url] 7 T+ `5 J# b6 b6 KThe 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. $ O0 ~- x% a( ~* M- M3 F+ b- _7 v ) s: y2 L) X2 S: E2 t) Q; L" L+ uYou 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. 2 y7 P  k# ?( c8 v7 i. K 2 B4 ]9 Q  s' ]+ }2 p* iIts 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. 9 M: E" f* @$ b7 o9 gThe 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. / s9 S7 _, h4 ]The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. ' x- Y& B; e! C1 |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. 4 a( E! x2 ^) z8 G1 DThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. % ~2 C  j9 g$ }0 Z1 X- q The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 2 a" V8 P4 z* `1 E% r 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. [Search:DCION * I6 m0 y% U0 ^/ x, y4 K9 E/ A 7 i* j2 K; u/ ~+ }; r7 a

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