Laufen Swiss Architecture tour3 Q2 G8 L3 i1 N
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. m! Y* s/ m% g$ t% w! ZDezeen 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.( H3 n% X5 d9 L, H
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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.' D. H( l1 _9 _* i7 T
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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.; E2 q5 @4 Y# e% \" _9 j2 i
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The Laufen Forum sits alongside the company’s headquarters and acts as a showroom and visitor centre.4 s K0 y. n3 w+ k8 n0 t3 Q$ |. J
+ U9 W+ N& V6 MIts 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.- k: w9 a: q2 ~6 R: P1 O
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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.
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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.* ]. L' ?1 f5 k! t5 z2 Q
4 J; y m* r) d1 yThe production of the pieces still involves many manual processes and a thorough understanding of the nuances of the material.* G+ d8 ~, h% \$ |, o
% V+ l4 v r- _6 T: m ~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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9 p& q* b8 p# d0 a4 q3 vThe 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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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.& {8 |- I1 N5 ?
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