Laufen Swiss Architecture tour 9 t! s# `1 ^/ U- d+ O3 a1 w3 d' s + b* {# l7 K+ y# w% u' g. n( |9 G& q/ o 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. 8 g* }. B5 t3 ^2 r" u[/url] 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. & h  F& Z2 k0 Y( {: b0 S 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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ) `) _0 Y9 s1 Y6 K* |: [& O) o Its 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.   u5 Y( ?0 W, o9 `. Z/ O' v 7 H* e9 [8 |0 RThe 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. ' s5 `6 ]2 N0 `6 ` The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. * w1 h/ R1 q9 R) s5 L9 G/ l# B ( ^8 y6 _$ L" v5 v5 |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. ) B3 t# A3 e7 e. h The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 9 V. I% X( B  h$ `5 [0 b7 p5 D - H1 V) r. t9 c% n/ {! e. R1 kLaufen 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. 5 `& T3 A5 j7 J0 z6 y! x, qThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. . l0 Q9 u; R+ t, n1 aThe 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 9 ]  U3 p; \) F4 I $ P: f/ E& |- I9 R$ ]* b

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