Laufen Swiss Architecture tour( Z+ t6 l* h& O C. g
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7 y! L" B8 P* T- d9 c5 y& 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.6 o0 r6 r) Q) b4 X" F, K. p; `
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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.
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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.& s& C' H' G- l( }) x; d
& ^# A! }( D0 a- g3 ^0 eIts 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.5 Z+ c. D: n2 j2 P; s
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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./ v$ g1 @- h" Y- \9 A, C. Z) U: Z
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The building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof.; K: t9 Z2 m4 m1 L
3 m0 O& a6 \' wThe 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. f4 h+ `% n* [! G/ ]! K1 x$ \: U
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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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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.
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The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.. ?) V7 j3 p: j1 U. Y# E6 r9 B/ V
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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.6 M' W2 E8 O8 X1 g7 w6 J
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