It probably seems strange that the who’s who of contemporary architecture and design would put their name to the design of a public toilet, but when such facilities are treated with the level of respect and dignity that comes with Japanese public spaces it starts to make more sense. Now, the Australian designer Marc Newson has joined the ranks of famed architect Tadao Ando, Kenzo artistic director NIGO and many more, as the latest designer to create a public toilet in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Run by the Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, the Tokyo Toilet Project has redesigned a total of 17 public restrooms around the popular suburb, each of which is meticulously maintained and cleaned. Newson’s design features a traditionally styled copper ‘Minoko’ roof and exposed concrete exterior, while the interior design drew on Japanese temples and tea rooms for inspiration.
Newson has enjoyed one of the most wide-ranging and storied careers of any Australian industrial designer in recent years, serving as the creative director of Qantas for a period, designing the first Apple Watch in 2015 and working on everything from boots to boats. Located beneath a highway underpass near Toyko’s Yoyogi Park, the Marc Newson edition of the Tokyo Toilet Project is now open to the public.
