Away from Hubbub - Zijue Wei

Away from Hubbub

Public Toilet Design for South Kensington Pedestrian Tunnel

Context

We are all facing huge amount of information-we receive emails when working, get bills at the postbox, listen to other’s phone call when shopping...We cannot even escape from it when staying in our own space, because both our rude neighbours and motorbikes passing by do not care about our tranquility.

At the transportation junction-South Kensington pedestrian tunnel, torrents of information surge in and out, making it a perfect propaganda space, then it gets even busier. During the long walk in the underground, dark and noisy tunnel, or way through the tunnel from one busy area to another, people need a break-so that is what the public toilet design is aiming for. It is not only a space for excretion, but also a little shelter for those who are looking for a peaceful corner.

Connecting and linking

Endless tunnel trip

Site investigation

I visited the tunnel on a working day, could still feel the heavy traffic in the tunnel. There was a musician, playing guitar with a speaker. A group of students were about to take a trip, rushing through the tunnel with their teachers and parents. Lines of advertisements of museums and exhibitions were put on walls. These should have made the tunnel trip an interesting and inspiring experience. However, the repeating advertisements and brick patterns on walls, the music that is hard to be told from loud background noises, dark colour and regular lighting...they made the 5 minute walk in tunnel dull and feels endless.

Little refreshment for a break

Site investigation

Exhibition Road

Increasing number of pedestrians

Walking from the entrance closer to the museums to the other end, I could feel an obvious increase in not only the numbers of pedestrians, but also the volume of sound and the amount of advertisements. These means that the tunnel is seperated into two parts: one part saturated with informations, and the unsaturated one.

South Kensington Station

Breaking the tunnel in half

Receiving information in toilets

Looking back at problems in existing public toilets

“One is never sure if he or she is seen at any given moment, although one knows full well that he or she can be seen.”

(Sheila L. Cavanagh, 2010)

Thinking back at the exisiting public toilets, there are still problems with sense of security and privacy protection. And as far as can see, these problems all trace back to the same reason-the communication of information, including visual, acoustic and other forms of information transmitting.

How do people make eye contacts? How do people feel others existing? How do people hear others?...

To create a completely secure place to relieve ourselves, the unnecessary and distracting ommunications have to be reduced.

Eye contacts

Eye contact is not only about direct eye contact-we observe others through mirrors, glasses, and everything that reflects or is transparent.

”People can stand there and look in the mirror and look around the rest of the washroom, you know, at the cubicles, the stalls, the toilets, whatever... [you can] have a gander at what else is going on in this place... You almost feel like you are on display!“ (Sheila L. Cavanagh, 2010)

Unconscious eavesdropping

We choose to close our eyes when unwilling to see, but no one can seal their ears by themselves. Information is sent to our ears and starts to invade our minds, giving us a sense of guilt for eavesdropping other's privacy unconsciously.

Stain and leftovers

In common sense, a wellmanaged public toilet has itself regularly cleaned, but there is always unavoidable dirtiness, reminding us that someone may just left their excrements, fingerprints or DNA here. It could be disgusting to find the toilet seat warm or see blood dripping off a piece of toilet paper outside the trash bin.

Secure or insecure?

Privacy issues in past architectures

”Ways of looking without being seen are central to panopticism. “ (Sheila L. Cavanagh, 2010)

When we are looking for a safe place, we think of the places that cannot be detected by others and those that belongs to us and our group. Meanwhile we want to be aware of the situation outside. For example, we may want to make sure our space is not exposed to public, and there is no danger around, so we can relax ourselves completely and do not have to worry about what is happening outside.

Obviously, glass surfaces make peeping easier to take place, and the house is no longer a closed space visually. When the user is appreciating the beautiful natural landscape outside, it also increase the risk of exposing their privacy, and they know it clearly when they choose to open the curtain.

The designer Shigeru Ban said: ”There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those located at a park. The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.“

But viewing through glass is two-way. When we know we can look inside the toilet, it also informs us that others may see us when using the toilet.

” realized that what enables each user a comfortable experience boils down to safety, privacy and urgency. With this in mind, created three separate spaces that redefine the way a public bathroom establishes personal space. “ Nao Taruma's design reduces interactions effectively.

Flowing through the washrooms

Design sketches and developments

To make the public toilet a safe place to stay, the toilet has to be:

1. Reducing interaction between toilet users, such as body contact and eye contact;

2. Helping the users to make sure the environment is safe before they start with the toilet use.

I started my design with the idea of "reducing the feeling of under surveilance" The first idea I came across was to avoid people looking at the doors of each cubicle, and show whether there is available stalls with lights or other signals.

However, people still have eye contact with others, when someone is walking pass or across the queue at the entrance. People walk in the little corridor in two directions and face each other, so more ambarassments may happen.

The other entrance was set up in each cubicle, so people can choose which door to cross when entering and leaving. When someone is using the toilet, both doors are locked so two people will not meet in the same cubicle at the same time.

A small buffer area is set in front of each entrance, refering to the design made by Nao Taruma. With the buffer, when walking out of the toilet, people have the chance to observe and adapt the situation outside and will not walk into other pedestrians passing by the door.

"The dappled background at the edge of the forest, under overhanging treetops, offers another quality desirable for stationary activities-the opportunity to be partly hidden in half shade while at the same time having a fine view of the space." (Jan Gehl 1971)

Now the cubicles are lining up in the long tunnel to save space. Also the two doors are on the same side, so pedestrians coming from two ends know where they should be queueing, and see whether any toilets are available on their side.

By seperating entrances and exits and regulating the direction of entering toilets, the possible interactions were reduces to its minimum:

1 People lining outside toilet will not meet the one who just finished using the toilet, and because they are moving in the same direction so they will not look at each other as well;

2 The one go out will not walk into a pedestrian or look into someone s eye, and he/she will go with the trend;

3 With the help of some simple technologies, ambarassing encouter in the toilet is no longer possible. People will not open the toilet door and find someone inside.

Two in a group, the toilets are seperated, so they do not look like a giant wall, cutting the tunnel into halves, and it feels more comfortable and breathable.

After sparing spaces for pipes and other facilities in walls, and refining the corners, the final design showed up with an organic shape.

The pedestrians coming from different directions will not go into the same cubicle and they will not meet each other. After finishing using the toilet they continue to go with the crowd and will not walk into others.

A space for everyone

Refining considering motion and accesibility

When first setting up the interior, the main idea was to allow everyone to use the space, so wheelchairs, pushchairs and big luggages have to fit in. There are also necessary facilities, such as grab bars and coat hangers.

One continuous line

High technology set up

To further reduce distracting interactions, we need help from controlling technologies.

Two way road

The public toilet is at the middle of the tunnel, leaving around 1.5 metres at both sides of the toilet, which does not block pedestrians' way.

Soft curves

Plan, section and isometric diagrams

Acute angles are more aggressive. All the corners in interior are made to be round, to reduce potential danger and create a soft and gentle visual effect.

Door buttons

Sanitary

Automatic folding doors

The lights used to show availablity are positioned on the ground, projecting two different colours of light onto the textured wall. This makes the availability of each cubicle visible from metres away.

Surrounded by textured surfaces

Construction materials selection

Textured surface

Easy to clean

Sound absorbing

Aluminum foam

Easy to clean

Light

Easy to replace

Easy to clean

Cheap Strong

Aluminum

Easy to clean

Textured surface

Not slippery

Easy to clean

Textured surface

Gentle colour

Sound absorbing

Aluminum

Reflection

Designing public toilets was a new experience: it talks more about practical things, like the positions of basins, and whether we need other facilities. About this part, I found it useful to begin with the movements of users. When we successfully include everything needed, the basic structure of the space comes out naturally.

There could be more details about the interior space, such as the details on basins and other additions, like floor drain and ventilation system.

References

Anon., n.d. Shigeru ban's tokyo toilets feature an exterior glass that turns opaque when locked. [Online]

Available at: https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1ono1i0004-iZ3-u&d=7%4Cmail2%F2%90F2%1666819800F1ono1i0004-iZ3-u7%Cin 6d7%C57e1b7%682C7%10917358C7%13772167C6359A7AAE8BD8E7C0D0879B87DB043AA&s=zfn0JR0bh5bqOBhHXeM9m386WH0&o=% 2Fphtw3%A2%Fwtsnew.oigbdsacomcm2%Fr.orehi2%Ftuetc-gsharubie-on-oyottk8til-0-1es2%F1-0202

Cavanagh, S. L., 2010. Queering bathrooms: Gender, sexuality, and the hygienic imagination. In: s.l.:s.n.

Gehl, J., 1971. Life Between Buildings. In: s.l.:s.n.

Reveley, W., 1791. Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon Prison. [Art].

Rohe, L. M. v. d., 1951-1945. Farnsworth House. [Art].

Taruma, N., 2020. Higashi Sanchome Toilet / Nao Tamura. [Online]

Available at: https://url6.mailanyone.net/scanner?m=1ono1i0004-iZ3-u&d=7%4Cmail2%F2%90F2%1666819800F1ono1i0004-iZ3-u% 7Cin6d7%C57e1b7%682C7%10917358C7%13772167C6359A7AAE8BD8E7C0D0879B87DB043AA&s=U9Qoug9SC3VFyrbHHSDrFaEVto&o=2%Fphtw3%A2%Fwtsarw.lhdiac4oy.2%5F96cmsh65igah2%Fimn-s-hoeacnltoot-aiearumatSarah Kuta. The Real Reason Public Toilet Seats Are U-Shaped. [Online]

Available at: https://www.simplemost.com/real-reason-public-toilet-seats-u-shaped/