"The biggest public toilet in the world" A glass cube and in the middle of nature

Last month, Ichihara City officially opened what it called "the biggest public toilet in the world." A grand gesture that is slightly misleading — it is in fact the largest plot of land for a single toilet — but nonetheless, it's not to be sniffed at.

The toilet, which is conveniently located in front of Itabu Station on the Kominato Railway Line, is boxed in glass and sits smack in the middle of a spacious garden of potted flowers and plants. For privacy, and to fend off any peeping Toms, there is a two-meter-high fence surrounding the garden.

It's a bold use of a lot of space, and that made it odd enough for the press to investigate: NHK ran a video report, as did Asahi on ANN News, while several national newspapers ran articles — not to mention all the blogs that redistributed the story.

Though its strangeness has had quite a few commentators focusing on the quirkiness of the project, with some criticizing it as a waste of space and funds — it cost around ¥10 million — not so many have looked into the "why?" behind it.

"There used to be no public toilets suitable for tourists' use (here)," said an official from Ichihara City Tourism Promotion Department, who explained that Ichihara is an area that attracts a lot of sightseers in spring because of its abundance of natural beauty, which includes flourishing cherry trees and mustard fields.

The area might be beautiful, but the only toilets available for visitors were botton benjo, unattractive pit toilets that appeared old-fashioned and unclean. Those original pit toilets were installed for train passengers at Itabu Station. But with infrequent trains and the area still being popular, many visitors now come by car. "We wanted to create toilets that drivers and their passengers could use as well," the official said.

But why make it so unusual? According to the official, it's hoped that the toilet will become a tourist attraction for visitors to next year's Ichihara City Art Festival, which is currently in its planning stages. The festival is a government-led initiative to improve the area through the "renovation of public facilities with the help of arts," which they hope will attract more tourists and boost the region's economy.

With all this in mind, a budget of ¥10 million seems less bizarre for a single toilet, as does the choice of designer — Sou Fujimoto, a globally prominent figure who recently rocketed to international fame with his company's winning proposal for the new Taiwan Tower, the "21st Century Oasis," a startling design inspired by the banyan tree.

Fujimoto was recommended by Fram Kitagawa, art director of Art Front Gallery, the organization that Ichihara city entrusts with the management of its arts festival.

"I thought it would be quite interesting. Public lavatories are something both private and public, so designing them can be a very motivating challenge for architects," explained Fujimoto in an email interview. "I was also enthusiastic about the fact that Itabu Station is surrounded by such wonderful wildlife. I thought it was a great opportunity to rethink the relationship between architecture and nature."

That relationship with nature, however, is not yet fully realized. Most of the images that have been published in the media so far were taken on April 6, the day of the toilet's official opening ceremony. The view of numerous plant pots laid out on the ground surrounding the loo led some onlookers to question the budget and design. But the area had only just completed its first stage of construction, and the soil has yet to settle properly. Since nothing could be planted, the pots were in fact ad hoc improvisation for the opening. The city assures everyone that in the future, the garden will resemble Fujimoto's original concept — a wild grassland area with trees lining the fence.

The fact that the toilet is only for women, which city officials say is simply to keep the number of users and queues manageable, may also change.

"I'm hoping to discuss with the city making the toilet open to both women and men in the future," said Fujimoto. "As an architect, I'd rather prefer the toilet was used by everyone, regardless of sex. That would enable more people to share the experience."

In the meantime, Fujimoto has designed another toilet, which is adjacent to the garden and available for both men and women to use.

The architect himself hasn't actually used the glass-encased toilet, though he did sit on it its basin at the opening ceremony. "I could enjoy the spectacular view while still feeling protected," he said. "No other toilet would allow you a feeling like that."

 

 

 

Culled from Yahoocom