It is very easy to see public washrooms and the toilet cubicles they are made of as inherently functional, even perhaps scoffing at the notion that they could potentially be architecturally significant or artistically valuable.
The question often unintentionally evokes works such as Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, a piece of Dadaist art that was intentionally absurd and invited serious questions about the inherent nature of art as a whole.
However, in some respects this misses the point, as a vital step to creating and preserving public washrooms is to make them stand out and matter to the general public, and some architects have become increasingly mindful of this in their design of civic infrastructure.
A particularly interesting example of this is a public toilet complex in Maida Hill, Westminster,
London, which is mindful not only to improve public facilities but to create a distinctive structure that becomes part of the cityscape and almost a work of art in itself.
Did it succeed? To answer this, it is important to examine what the Maida Hill public toilets actually did, the intentions behind their construction and where it fits amidst other artistic and architecturally significant public washrooms.
Why Were the Maida Hill Public Washrooms Made?
The simple answer to why Studio Weave developed a stone toilet block in a residential neighbourhood at the heart of the City of Westminster is because the local City Council requested they do so. However, that only answers part of the question.
Whilst that explains the initial catalyst behind designing the stone building which housed three public toilet cubicles, it does not necessarily explain why it was designed the way it was, and why so much focus was put on its architecture in the first place.
The main reason, according to the design studio, was to turn the building into a message about the importance of public washrooms and why they should be treated as serious and fundamental parts of the local area.
There is an assumption that politicians are reluctant to advocate for public toilets, because they do not want to shape their legacy. However, Studio Weave claims the opposite is true, and that public washrooms are an expression of democracy itself.
By making public toilets mini-landmarks, it turns a necessary convenience into a point of pride for the public community, whilst also highlighting that a city or community will provide for universal needs as a point of self-belief.
As well as this, the studio wanted to make a point about recycling and repurposing, using a mix of Norwegian larvikite and Finnish pink granite from a demolished office building to create a distinctive, minimalist patchwork design which creates the maximum impact for the lowest costs.
Could Artistic Public Toilets Become The Norm?
The Maida Hill washroom was inspired in some respects by the Tokyo Toilet Project in Shibuya, where 16 world-class designers created 17 unique public toilets across the densely populated ward of Tokyo.
Whilst the project was notable in its own right, it was propelled to international attention thanks to the 2023 Wim Wenders film Perfect Days.
The independent film, starring Koji Yakusho as a cleaner of the various different toilets that make up The Tokyo Toilet project, managed to generate interest not only in the 17 specific washroom facilities but also in their powerful importance to civic life.
It is unlikely for a film as powerful and critically acclaimed as Perfect Days to be replicated, but it shows that there is much more interest and pride in public washrooms than has traditionally been the case, and not just in Japan.
Why Does Art Matter With Public Toilets?
One of the biggest issues with high streets in the UK is the loss of public toilet facilities, but this is a problem that few with the power to shape policy are willing to talk about.
Public washrooms allow all of us to stay out longer, to feel more comfortable and feel safer wherever we choose to go.
However, the importance of public toilets ironically causes them to become a feature of the urban landscape that is out of sight and out of mind unless you need to use them.
This did not used to be the case, with many of the most beautiful public washrooms being made in the late 19th century. And many modern designers interested in the unique architectural challenges of public toilets have found that the optimal solution is to make them worth noticing.
The Tokyo Toilet project evidently worked to inspire national pride in public toilets, and if you notice the building and admire it without actually needing it, there is a vested interest in keeping it in good condition rather than letting it become vulnerable to vandalism.
Related Posts
