Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ' h1 g- _9 s, W8 d0 ]: p% E" I 6 t' n3 q) @2 y! m  o3 l) |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. [/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. ) I1 U3 p% C" z/ Y; ]4 z$ S' a/ gYou 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. / B2 H* i* m2 g The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ; R  Q& j% O0 U* mIts 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. 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. & r. y$ R6 }7 o+ ~ ' d. g) L4 m: D5 y6 O. v# xThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 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. 7 ^  N* L4 d7 ~' s5 k" q! `4 T% A " x: \) a! `' M9 u/ s. rThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. * r4 O( S: L, ^5 | & t" \; Y) P# ^0 yLaufen 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. : S- @, }  \8 k1 S& _/ }( a' h* r7 L* u 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 ^% K9 e, c' G- wThe 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. : a+ T7 p9 u" c$ S* C( s[Search:DCION $ H; W: ?+ p, D: x& D 2 _; e, h' O: [) {

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