Toilets of the World

Throughout the week, unsuspecting crowds in this corner of central London walk over what appears to be an oversized concrete manhole cover. On Thursdays at dusk the cover rises up Read the rest of this entry »

Known in France as a Turkish toilet (toilette turque), the squat toilet is seen here in a modern version. Facing the door of the stall, the user squats over the hole with a foot on each porcelain footprint. Many find the squat toilet more hygienic than the classic public toilet with a seat. Note the electric eye on the wall: when the user steps away, the toilet flushes and the entire area is automatically cleaned by a gush of water from the three surrounding walls.

Aire de Pavillion
Autoroute A9
Roussillon region

These magnificent Victorian urinals were built when Rothesay was at the height of popularity as a holiday resort. They were rescued from demolition in 1994 when Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust fortunately decided to have them renovated rather than torn down. The total cost of restoration work is estimated at £300,000, compared to the £530 it cost to build the urinals in 1899.

Rothesay Pier
Isle of Bute

All over the German autobahns drivers may access convenient rest stops with full toilet facilities. These stops are indicated by a blue “Rastplatz” sign, the German term for rest stop. Functionality aside, these urinals are aesthetically pleasing, with their chrome colour and the clean lines of their simple design.

Rastplatz Esch
Autobahn A57 near Worringen
Outside of Köln

Many walk among these giant oblong eggs wondering if they’ve accidentally entered the army’s restricted alien compound. When they finally screw up the courage to open the door of a foreboding egg, they realize with a gush of relief that there are no cryogenically frozen bodies inside. Instead, they find what they’ve come for all along: a toilet. Each of these dozen eggs contains its own perfectly normal toilet; a most relaxing little haven for all but the claustrophobic. The unique eggshells are made of fibreglass by a firm specialized in the fabrication of yacht hulls.

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