Laufen Swiss Architecture tour' R) D6 S% q8 {3 f
9 D, ], ]: w8 w+ Z+ ^
" h9 _& f# t1 ]- j cDezeen 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.
- l8 H4 C" o* h- `4 o; ]3 U, F* [% t+ @4 J* ]
[/url]
6 ?, m7 I0 a4 v( BThe 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.: S7 M3 S3 p- @8 }
, I% [8 M6 W# [# L7 DYou 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.7 O. ?# [# y. U8 ?6 p
 ; @: C+ k2 o0 J
The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
, B3 H2 U8 u2 i: [$ H# [7 H# ?0 L : a3 `9 J4 q) ]1 q; H# }
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." Y* M! r: E3 y# l2 a6 u! Z
 ( Z3 { p e) s* [( H- F
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.. d" r( q2 X+ b" e+ p$ g# T
6 I) y. u/ `+ q2 d; `The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.; ~( A# \6 V5 C
& L7 P# ^; N0 c- SThe 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.
* z2 `) K3 n) g5 y
7 b! C* m. w9 v+ D; UThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
! a7 k9 P# t+ S" A- _ + o3 s8 U3 r! e' H
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.
' e4 S& Z( ~4 l) Y$ K, U* O2 _1 l
! @5 p: j4 b9 s$ Z# E1 vThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.0 F; B8 x/ G: Z0 L8 h2 N) B
1 Y4 h9 X) l Y& iThe 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.* `: H- J$ J H$ Q
[Search:DCION
3 M7 S' Y7 a+ E# r3 ~0 m8 I 6 F7 Y! w+ @. j% o
2 b8 c7 m6 X x- p- x, k
2 H' `! c+ ^$ s6 v, Z |
! V2 a5 _$ S) Z. \2 b( F, F
8 O2 E, `! _' Q5 K N O0 n: z
|
我喜欢的