sou fujimoto's public toilet in ichihara is a garden escape
sou fujimoto’s public toilet in ichihara is a garden escape
photo by iwan baan
all images courtesy of sou fujimoto architects
the communal bathroom is notably one of the smallest ‘public’ spaces, while at the same time being confined and private. sou fujimoto took on the challenge of designing a toilet that while still being closed, offered an openness in the context of its site–positioned next to itabu station that runs along the north and south in ichihara-city, chiba, an area that is known for its cherry blossoms.
the public lavatory is positioned within a lush 200 square meter garden of trees and flowers
photo by iwan baan
taking the picturesque location into consideration, the japanese architect has conceived two units–one for unisex use and people with disabilities, the other for ladies only–that merges the notions of public and private, opened and closed, nature and built architecture, and smallness and largeness.
for privacy, a 2 meter wooden log roll fence has been installed around the glass box toilet
photo by iwan baan
the result is a glass box lavatory that has been placed in the middle of a 200 square meters garden that is planted with trees and flowers, providing occupants a serene view while using the facilities. to combat the issue of seclusion, a 2 meter wooden log roll fence has been placed around the perimeter that is entered through a locked door. a small pathway cleared away among the lush foliage, to reach the outhouse. this multi-layering and divergence of internal and external boundaries converge into one another while maintaining a certain ambiguity and suggesting a primitive form of architecture.
the public toilet is positioned next to itabu station that runs along the north and south in ichihara-city, chiba
photos by iwan baan
one enters the toilet through a wooden log fence
photo by iwan baan
photo by iwan baan
approach to the public toilet in ichihara
photo by iwan baan
site plan
image courtesy of sou fujimoto architects
section
image courtesy of sou fujimoto architects
visualization of the public toilet in ichihara
image courtesy of sou fujimoto architects
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oh gee, why??
seeing the first image i thought it was installed in the middle of the city….
what is the point in having this bathroom when the inside and the suroundings are the same?
I would prefer to pee on the side of the road
This answers the age old question on the minds of bears – do humans s**it in a box?
ridiculously beautiful
I was planning to undertake a pilgrimage for a satori moment till I noticed the women only sign……..
ridiculously beautiful? nah, just ridiculous.
You can puff it up with Artspeak, but it’s just an exercise in making people uncomfortable. Why on earth would you consider that an artistic endeavor?
those must have been some mean beans
Haha… it’s a female toilet only! And the little shed next to the garden is the male toilet?? Well, I guess, that’s what women deserve… when they go to the toilet it anyways only smells of roses! Hahaha! ;-))