patrick jouin installs free hand sanitizer dispensers around paris

french designer patrick jouin has collaborated with the city of paris and JCDecaux in a project that aims to help the french capital combat the COVID-19 pandemic by installing free hand sanitizer dispensers around the city. placed in public spaces, the initiative aims to gradually install 2,000 pieces of street furniture by late june: 1,500 on public transport shelters — three out of four — and on all 435 of paris’ self-cleaning public toilets.

designed by patrick jouin, the free hand sanitizer dispensers have a 5-liter capacity which is enough to deliver around 3,300 doses per day. the idea is that a specialized JCDecaux service team will take care of them, regularly filling and disinfected the devices. in total, some 6.5 million weekly instances of hand disinfection could be made possible thanks to the dispensers fitted on the JCDecaux urban furniture, therefore contributing to safer everyday traveling conditions for parisian citizens and visitors alike.

‘dispensers need to be clearly visible in the city, to make sure people notice them, whether they are using the bus system or just out walking in the streets,’ comments patrick jouin. ‘this is why dispensers are positioned to face the pavement rather than the road. it is a signal advertising a sort of ‘hygiene stations’ available throughout the city. its design was informed by the necessity to combine a 5-liter hand sanitizer reservoir with a dispensing mechanism — in this case a push tap — that would not break down and that everyone would know how to use. additionally, steel tubes were a readily available industrial product easy to transform. using the latest laser cutting technology, we were able to create this elegant notch cut-out to place the tap inside, leaving enough room for users to insert their hands underneath.’

‘we chose a very open, wide-angle shape for easier access and delivery of the solution,’ the designer continues. ‘the dispenser’s bright color fulfills two functions: making it more visible in an urban environment and reflecting sunlight to prevent the solution inside from overheating. the beveled cap is painted blue, a color symbolic of hygiene. the slanted top was designed to prevent passers-by from leaving cans or bottles on top of it, and to allow dust to be washed off by rain. eventually, it should also be used for additional signage. the device was much easier to fit on public toilets, as their proportions offered more than enough space to hold the reservoir.’

‘I am happy to have had the chance to take this free commission to design a project for parisians, visitors and all paris lovers! it is a novel and singular object in the city,’ jouin concludes. ‘in an area as densely populated as paris, the question of social distancing is crucial and urban furniture should be designed to meet a variety of needs; this project shows that a bus stop may also be used to promote hygiene.’