Laufen Swiss Architecture tour
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4 C9 p, ^8 [' {' J6 b( a: @3 LDezeen 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.
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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.( R! Q/ n; l+ }, u1 S) \; Y
( b, c/ A2 j* z' H& H& _( eYou 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.* v! m& j; H( R1 t% u
h2 ]% w) ^2 O1 B. lThe Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 ~" K' F& n' z+ K- N& r; X L
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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.
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9 N! K% P+ X! U* e5 AThe 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.) H6 c3 ^, S5 v
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The 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.
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The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.8 D. ^5 y8 b& G
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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.7 x! |, I2 V# W V3 J
$ |9 \6 e1 Y: l: Y; i1 h1 HThe Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding.! D7 n) d! a; A6 }* v3 l( G
' C- q* `; f0 Q% DThe 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.( ?$ n+ `. B; Y7 y! M9 i
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