The world's 10 best public toilets for 2014
Hiroshima Park Restrooms
Design: Future Studio
Location; Hiroshima, Japan
Picture: Future Studio
Designed to resemble origami cranes, these colourful toilet cubicles exude a quintessentially Japanese sense of calm and order - especially as each one has its triangular roof pointing north.
Picture: Future Studio
The 17 restrooms, which are scattered around the park, come in three different shapes, but not two are quite alike, as each one has a different coloured roof.
Picture: Future Studio
The restrooms are made entirely of concrete, with circular windows and colour is applied with paint that is specially formulated to wipe clean.
Picture: Future Studio
JinHua Architecture Park public toilet
Design: DnA Design and Architecture
Location: Zhejiang Province, China
Picture DnA Design and Architecture
You'd feel let down if the public toilets at an architecture park weren't suitable striking in their design. Thankfully, the ones at the JinHua Architecture Park, which was curated by world-famous Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, don't disappoint. These stylish concrete loos were designed by DnA Design and Architecture and aim at providing that rarest of things, privacy in a public toilet.
Picture DnA Design and Architecture
Public Toilet, Gdansk
Design: Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci
Location: Poland
Picture: Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci
Designed as part of the drive to make Gdansk match-fit to host the EURO 2012 football tournament, these public toilets are practical as well as stylish. undertaking a feasibility study, the archtiects found that they would need to design something that would involve minimal earthworks.
Picture: Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci
The architects settled on a prefabricated option. The toilet's cylindrical form bulges at the base, in shape reminiscent of a rain-drop, while the vertical steel ribs of the exterior double as a bike rack.
Picture: Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci
Thanks to Francesc Mola, who helped us put this list together from the book Public Toilet Design: From Hotels, Bars, Restaurants, Civic Buildings and Businesses Worldwide, which he edited.
