Laufen Swiss Architecture tour ; _; y# l* [6 i  o 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. [/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. 7 v& b' \! B  \ 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. - {1 y/ I( c: b# z8 x* W The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. ; c1 d: [) q8 }+ T: ^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. 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. The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 2 A6 A# ]3 h- s# B( j7 s 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. ' b% b- Z# i. |, \ ; Z* o7 P2 q8 w4 bThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. 8 R4 b8 U) T; b  m9 z , n* W  t  U2 ~4 x+ GLaufen 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. ; }0 ]1 _) q" ^ The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. / V% x! A9 n: h, X0 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. ) ?5 i2 r/ b& Y& {% a0 m[Search:DCION & }$ i8 h4 M: D7 x8 q

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