Laufen Swiss Architecture tour9 `# D1 `1 E- M6 g7 ^, B7 n6 d7 I
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' e! \; X0 j& y1 i' [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.4 j" |- t& b- Z8 T
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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.5 [7 I/ ?+ z6 H; j, ]# X! B% [
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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.
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.
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$ w3 T5 y* N, X. ~2 A/ I6 o$ O" iIts 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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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.6 f' f( T( C; r. r" V7 `
0 b$ S' F/ g5 v. H6 Z5 sThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.
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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.2 p# H9 |( ~! b: v( i
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.
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' v* _, V( |# S1 j3 j- J) ?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.3 y) n) ?) h" K& O, g. V
8 a: q3 O5 A9 KThe 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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) B5 A4 D$ s( e: @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.- e% J, p4 J# c
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