Laufen Swiss Architecture tour) n5 y* M1 _" \# C0 F% W
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* j9 F" q b [" C% ~0 e$ ]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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8 Q) s a2 y: ^8 MThe 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.
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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.( |* |9 V0 }2 t' x
* l. M3 e. O! v$ g3 n% b4 PThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.& I- [& x: b, T4 Q, N
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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.! h( L4 x& g& Y0 |
8 x2 k3 G: A: e7 G! W! V* }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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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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3 s1 ~8 }/ L! ~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 h9 f- F' _; }+ s; s
, I0 h$ }; g, a9 k2 g( d6 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.
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) h- ?0 f* l" ?: z5 T3 EThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.
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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.1 f% H. G) A+ r" ?; R7 g8 ?
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