Laufen
LAUFEN is a Swiss premium manufacturer of holistic bathroom solutions — founded on 4 July 1892 as Tonwarenfabrik Laufen AG in the town of Laufen (Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland) by Albert Borer, Johann Spillmann and Joseph Gerster-Roth, initially producing bricks and clinkers. The choice of location followed tangible criteria: hydroelectric power, local clay deposits, a railway hub and an artisan tradition with the material. In 1925 the group founded Keramik Laufen AG as the first Swiss manufacturer of ceramic sanitary ware for the domestic market. 1932 first Swiss tile manufacturer. 1952 international expansion with a factory in Brazil. 1967 acquisition of the Austrian ÖSPAG (Wilhelmsburg and Gmunden plants). 1982 invention of high-pressure casting for sanitary ceramics — a formative innovation subsequently adopted across the entire industry. 1999 part of the Spanish Roca Group (today the world's largest sanitary ceramics manufacturer). 2002 ILBAGNOALESSI One (with Alessi — numerous design awards). 2009 launch of LAUFEN faucet production (following acquisition of Similor / Charles Kugler, founded 1854).
Production sites: Laufen (Switzerland, headquarters + Laufen Forum, redesigned by Snøhetta), Gmunden (Austria — world's first electric tunnel kilns for sanitary ceramics, Cradle-to-Cradle certified), Bechyně and Znojmo (Czech Republic). LAUFEN is the only sanitary porcelain manufacturer producing exclusively in Europe. EcoVadis Platinum Medal for sustainability performance (as Roca Group). Design philosophy: Swiss design as a synthesis of southern Italian emotionality and northern Bauhaus precision. Designer collaborations: Alessi, Kartell, Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic, Stefano Giovannoni, Toan Nguyen (Lani collection), Peter Wirz and others. Product categories: sanitary ceramics (washbasins, bidets, WCs), bathtubs, faucets (bathroom, kitchen), bathroom furniture (vanity units, drawers, tall and wall cabinets), mirrors, installation systems. BIM files available.
The brand is good address for architects and interior designers seeking for luxury residential, hospitality and demanding contract bathroom projects the Swiss premium manufacturer of holistic bathroom solutions producing in Laufen (Canton of Basel-Landschaft) since 4 July 1892 and operating as part of the Roca Group since 1999 that with the invention of high-pressure casting (1982), the ILBAGNOALESSI One design classic (2002, Alessi), exclusively European production (Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic), Cradle-to-Cradle certification at the emission-free Gmunden factory, the EcoVadis Platinum Medal and designer collaborations with Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic and Kartell demonstrates the combination of 130 years of ceramics expertise with contemporary premium design and a documented sustainability strategy.
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Laufen
LAUFEN is a Swiss premium manufacturer of holistic bathroom solutions — founded on 4 July 1892 as Tonwarenfabrik Laufen AG in the town of Laufen (Canton of Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland) by Albert Borer, Johann Spillmann and Joseph Gerster-Roth, initially producing bricks and clinkers. The choice of location followed tangible criteria: hydroelectric power, local clay deposits, a railway hub and an artisan tradition with the material. In 1925 the group founded Keramik Laufen AG as the first Swiss manufacturer of ceramic sanitary ware for the domestic market. 1932 first Swiss tile manufacturer. 1952 international expansion with a factory in Brazil. 1967 acquisition of the Austrian ÖSPAG (Wilhelmsburg and Gmunden plants). 1982 invention of high-pressure casting for sanitary ceramics — a formative innovation subsequently adopted across the entire industry. 1999 part of the Spanish Roca Group (today the world's largest sanitary ceramics manufacturer). 2002 ILBAGNOALESSI One (with Alessi — numerous design awards). 2009 launch of LAUFEN faucet production (following acquisition of Similor / Charles Kugler, founded 1854).
Production sites: Laufen (Switzerland, headquarters + Laufen Forum, redesigned by Snøhetta), Gmunden (Austria — world's first electric tunnel kilns for sanitary ceramics, Cradle-to-Cradle certified), Bechyně and Znojmo (Czech Republic). LAUFEN is the only sanitary porcelain manufacturer producing exclusively in Europe. EcoVadis Platinum Medal for sustainability performance (as Roca Group). Design philosophy: Swiss design as a synthesis of southern Italian emotionality and northern Bauhaus precision. Designer collaborations: Alessi, Kartell, Marcel Wanders, Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic, Stefano Giovannoni, Toan Nguyen (Lani collection), Peter Wirz and others. Product categories: sanitary ceramics (washbasins, bidets, WCs), bathtubs, faucets (bathroom, kitchen), bathroom furniture (vanity units, drawers, tall and wall cabinets), mirrors, installation systems. BIM files available.
The brand is good address for architects and interior designers seeking for luxury residential, hospitality and demanding contract bathroom projects the Swiss premium manufacturer of holistic bathroom solutions producing in Laufen (Canton of Basel-Landschaft) since 4 July 1892 and operating as part of the Roca Group since 1999 that with the invention of high-pressure casting (1982), the ILBAGNOALESSI One design classic (2002, Alessi), exclusively European production (Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic), Cradle-to-Cradle certification at the emission-free Gmunden factory, the EcoVadis Platinum Medal and designer collaborations with Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic and Kartell demonstrates the combination of 130 years of ceramics expertise with contemporary premium design and a documented sustainability strategy.