LAUFEN headquarters in basel by nissen and wentzlaff

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LAUFEN headquarters in basel by nissen and wentzlaff

Jan 11, 2013

first image
'LAUFEN headquarters' by nissen and wentzlaff, basel, switzerland
image © designboom

designboom recently ventured to basel, switzerland to take a tour of swiss bathroom designer LAUFEN's latest headquarters designed by local
architects nissen and wentzlaff. the free-form reinforced concrete structure was poured in a single mould, assuring a homogenous mixture throughout
the project, leaving the wooden form work panels exposed on the surface. the shape is derived from one of the company's wash basins, symbolically
constructed using the same methods, but contains the entire array of LAUFEN products instead of water from the tap. a winding circulation through
the two levels create a sequence upon which different displays are set up, with more permanent installments and test bathrooms on the top floor
and individual products and components on the bottom.

the most important aspect of the project is the lighting. from the exterior the structure looks solid and cold, as it contains no visible windows, but
the interior reveals a ceiling speckled with 48 small skylights. they serve a very key function in terms of presentation and ventilation. as direct
light never actually touches the products at any time of day, artificial lighting can be used to display the products with desired accents and mood.
as christian schäfer of LAUFEN explains:

'light management is very important for exhibitions for products. if you have big windows you will have different light reflections during the day.
throughout the entire day; here we can really manage it, keep it stable, keep it constant. nevertheless we have these skylights, and they are letting
in daylight and this is very important for the atmosphere, of course. daylight is always nice, here in the center it gives a nice atmosphere,
you don't have the impression that you are in a cellar or a closed basement.'

parking entrance
image © designboom

during the evening, the lamellar vents are opened to take advantage of the building's thermal mass and night air to naturally cool the structure
throughout the day. the lack of traditional windows in combination with a 44 centimeter thick thermoactive ceiling allows optimum regulation
of comfort within the structure while interior air is circulated twice every hour maintaining a high level of air quality. the building is placed on
a sloping site so that one side of the showroom reaches out over the parking area and is supported on one single off-center point, an challenge for
basel engineering office walther mory majer.

structure stretches out over the parking area
image © ruedi walti

image © ruedi walti

parking entrance
image © ruedi walti

entrance
image © designboom

main atrium
image © designboom

diffused daylight enters from the ceiling
image © designboom

image © designboom

wrapping circulation winds around the structural cores
image © ruedi walti

image © designboom

thin internal partitions separate different display areas
image © ruedi walti

image © ruedi walti

image © designboom

site plan
image courtesy of LAUFEN

floor plan / level 0
image courtesy of LAUFEN

floor plan / level 1
image courtesy of LAUFEN

floor plan / level 2
image courtesy of LAUFEN

section
image courtesy of LAUFEN

anita db

01.11.13

LAUFEN (8 articles)

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LOG IN VIA

LAUFEN (8 articles)

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