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./ z) x( L$ B# P E' v- g: ^
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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.! y- c' E$ X8 A3 ^
7 q2 s. J3 B) E0 Y, C3 o+ Y, oYou 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 N$ |! }7 w( w. l; s
% m' _! s3 ?; P, b* {, P9 K- A$ }) K- dThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.! e2 v. y# O( t: v E3 j$ g& k
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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.
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. m, {$ Z9 C* j- PThe 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.- ^# C: F! m N5 M4 z5 J
! K. ]( w3 i. b5 ?9 XThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.& V: ^" g* t/ S! j6 d( }/ }: E
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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.4 y) z6 `9 B2 i! c4 {
' `- G) a1 |. N) K, jLaufen 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.4 ~* b4 ^" T8 v8 q$ L9 w% [) Z Y- C
0 g* j- x& p0 w [) BThe 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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