LAUFEN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen has introduced several of their progressive collections to the United States and Canada. Their commitment to the North American market includes service and stocking headquarters in Miami and Toronto, and their products are available at numerous dealers throughout the United States and Canada.
Laufen has introduced a North American product brochure, which includes all of their collections that are tailored to North American specifications. Laufen is a company of worldwide repute in terms of bathroom design and craftsmanship. They were the first manufacturer of ceramic bath furnishings in Switzerland, and are now the premier manufacturer of complete bathroom solutions for modern lifestyles. Promising the strictest quality management and control, almost all of
their collections are created within the Laufen family of companies. Laufen products embody Swissness, which is a term that encompasses the credibility of the Swiss made label and stands for the highest standards in precision, reliability, thoroughness and quality.
As an environmentally-conscious company, Laufen manufactures water conserving dual flush toilets and many of their products are crafted from all natural ceramic. What makes Laufen products so special is their innovative Swiss approach to everything they produce. Laufen
design sensibilities are an alchemy of many elements to create their prestigious brand, including influence from two important design studies: the Italian school from the south and the northern school of modernism. Laufen’s level of Swiss precision is evident in their stringent quality control standards.
At any time during production, products with even the smallest flaw are rejected. Laufen is a company that achieves and produces products that their competitors simply cannot. They have the ability to create large ceramic pieces which are always impeccably finished, smooth and evenly glazed. Today, in an ultra-modern manufacturing plant – they continue what they started over a century ago: a design revolution of the bathroom suite. World renowned designers work
for the Laufen development and coordination center at the company’s international headquarters in Switzerland, including Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, Hartmut Esslinger who designed the shape of the Apple computer, and Stefano Giovannoni and Wiel Arets for Italian Design Firm Alessi.
Their signature collections include:
ILBAGNOALESSI One: This collection is a modern classic, which kindles emotions in the bathroom with its poetic, sensuous design. As a popular and renowned collection that has swept the European market, ILBAGNOALESSI One was conceptualized by star Italian designer Stefano Giovannoni of Italian Design Firm Alessi, and the ceramic pieces and bathtubs were created by Laufen. Giovannoni has managed to combine his innovative design with the Alessi brand with powerful ideas from Laufen (ceramics and bathtubs) who created the collection with the help of Oras (fittings) and Inda (furniture and accessories). The ceramic elements of a bathroom are considered as setting the style of the space, as in the case of ILBAGNOALESSI One. The visual
focus and determining design element of this collection is the large Tom-Tom-shaped pedestal washbasin, which is very challenging to create considering it is fired as a single piece.
ILBAGNOALESSI dOt: The ILBAGNOALESSI Suite by Laufen has grown. ILBAGNOALESSI One is followed by dOt, another complete bathroom collection by Alessi, and conceptualized by Dutch Architect Wiel Arets for Alessi. The collection’s basins, toilets, furniture, bathtubs, shower enclosure and accessories were created by Laufen. Arets has come up with an entirely new interpretation of the bathroom. As the more geometric version of the Alessi bathroom, dOt takes its own place besides the curvaceous, yet modern classic ILBAGNOALESSI One. The name dOt is derived from the round, dot-like recess, which adorns nearly every piece in the collection. The
dot is a functional characteristic, similar to the dot on the “i” in this unique bathroom series. Arets started out with the premise that individual elements were not to detract from the actual purpose of the bathroom – the cleansing of the body and soul. The collection features asymmetric shapes, most of which have declining straight lines on their front and left side, giving them a lighter look that also makes them stand out. The washbasins and bathtubs appear reduced to completely flat surfaces and are architectural in appearance. As Arets explains, “The accumulation of the various components is based on the individual strength of its several parts. Each has to serve its purpose without overpowering the whole.” That applies to the impressive, 35 ½” washbasin, which is
manufactured using Laufen’s advanced Swiss craftsmanship, and even the chrome-plated soap dish. In the opinion of Alberto Alessi, “ILBAGNOALESSI dOt is surrounded by an aura of weightlessness, which is unusual in contemporary product design and is a fine example of what architecture can still today contribute in this area.”
Palomba Collection:
Since 2005, interior designers and husband and wife team Ludovica and Roberto Palomba
have been creating this core product collection for Laufen. The Palomba Collection features a suite of bathroom products including eight washbasins, a wallhung and floorstanding toilet, bidet, bathtub and furniture in a Macassar finish. In producing this design, Ludovica and Roberto Palomba took their cues from the sea and believe that part of the collection has the “fingerprint of nature.” The washbasins in the collection feature an organic, lagoon-shaped basin. Rimless when filled, there is a flowing transition between solid and liquid states. The small washbasins assume a similar shape. A cube is rounded out as a symbol of the erosive effect of water. The walls of the bowl retain a constant thickness. The bidet is reminiscent of a pebble, which has been gradually
smoothed and polished by the eternal play of the tides. Future products in the Palomba Collection will continue to evolve and be introduced.
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Having defined bathroom culture since 1892, Laufen was the first creator of ceramic bathroom products in Switzerland, and is now the leading global manufacturer of complete bathroom solutions for modern lifestyles. Laufen has made a commitment and investment in the U.S. and Canada, and is offering a range of products that were selected and code approved for the North American market. Laufen has complete inventory and customer service support in both Miami and Toronto. Renowned for their traditional fine ceramic technique, Laufen products characterize Swiss workmanship, boasting of precision, high quality and design. As the premium brand
of the Roca group – the largest ceramic bath product manufacturer worldwide – Laufen employs a staff of 2,000 specialists that understand the technology, design and functionality needed to constantly reinvent the bath. With branches in 17 countries and global representation, Laufen manufactures over four million ceramic pieces annually. A timeless aesthetic and classic appea have led designers like Stefano Giovannoni and Wiel Arets for the Italian Design Firm Alessi and Ludovica and Roberto Palomba to invest themselves in the Laufen design
movement. For more information on Laufen please visit
www.laufen.com/usa or
www.laufen.com/canada
