Public toilets have an image of being filthy, smelly and somehow a little scary. The world-famous Japanese architect Shigeru Ban wants to change that in a revolutionary way: with transparent toilets.
Tokyo (dpa) - Public toilets have the image of being filthy, foul smelling and somehow a bit scary. The world-famous Japanese architect Shigeru Ban wants to change that in a revolutionary way: with transparent toilets.
These can now be admired in a park in Tokyo's famous trendy Shibuya district. When the toilets are unlocked, the pastel-colored glass walls become transparent. Everyone can then look in from the outside and see the white, clean toilets and sinks. As soon as the doors close, the walls, made of layers of glass with a special film, become opaque.
The ultra-modern toilets with their electricity-powered transforming walls are part of a Nippon Foundation project called "The Tokyo Toilet". The goal is a rebirth of public toilets as a quiet place where you feel comfortable and safe. "There are two things we are concerned about when entering a public toilet, especially if it is in a park. The first is cleanliness and the second is whether someone is inside," writes Ban on the project Website.
Ban is one of 16 artists, including his two world-famous architecture colleagues Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma, who support the project. But what, some people ask, if there is a power failure or other breakdowns? Don't worry, assure the project managers. If the power fails, the glass walls become opaque. Whatever happens, nobody can look inside.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200822-99-263925 / 4