Laufen Swiss Architecture tour * l, K1 z7 U; |( Y 5 Y! d* Y7 K" n" r$ r2 z + g; j, a0 q8 DDezeen 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. * I/ y- s. g1 v  S2 z  W; R: y0 |- B[/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. 0 y6 ^0 G/ H& H$ R9 A$ a2 |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. The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre. + U" W5 m0 |0 b: z 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. & H6 G. Y; _+ x. |3 B5 V% eThe 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.   W! G- ^" N- \- C $ [+ n" k1 H, AThe building is almost entirely windowless but the central events area is lit by skylights punched into the roof. 7 v; y: H7 H. }+ X* R# _/ q0 y 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. % F4 N7 x  k- o& e7 }The production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material. - |1 x: N" B# m$ R) R: h& g + m9 K$ f- C) x2 f( ?% W. NLaufen 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. ! j# a3 Z( a" D1 T " P2 S6 L9 _7 ?5 H7 {The Living Square collection (above) by Stuttgart designer Andreas Dimitriadis of Platinumdesign has a shallow basin and sharply defined edges that require precise moulding. 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. + ^$ [2 _0 F2 Q; s" F3 h" l$ a# p# Y[Search:DCION : K3 E+ L! }: p9 V- s8 `& Y1 ~ # q( Y2 D8 ^/ F 4 _% q4 I8 k$ R/ O4 ~) u7 D* P

) @7 f6 H# I% S

我喜欢的