Laufen Swiss Architecture tour + k% y. C. X1 p7 l: T 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. ; j# A8 f5 {" b, D: s6 s[/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.   J' n& k8 s0 U5 U- e3 Z 0 A4 O2 B9 ]8 m- ^) uYou 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. & ^2 J- Z4 s/ f% | 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. . r5 ~+ s8 E8 A. h* ^  s( t 4 Q* R0 \4 d6 b9 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. - |& T) p) C6 n% E" V' ~2 r! AThe 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. 2 P: t/ N% T$ h. q- y The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 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. The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. ) t7 r/ C8 h2 a: i 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. [Search:DCION . y8 x* p; s) T+ K# Z& d$ v ! f+ u' b& \7 w8 z: s% D' l   _6 |: u5 e) H8 Y4 L 3 `! G. Y% a+ Q

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