suppose design office shapes public toilet in tokyo like floating concrete cube

located in tokyo’s sendagaya station, this public toilet by suppose design office is shaped like a floating concrete cube. the project is characterized by the visual contrast between the ‘heavy’, dense appearance of concrete and the building’s floating, lightweight form. inside, the toilet’s design goes against the typical characteristics of public toilets with brass signs that give it a hotel-like appearance, a washbasin that is centered so that men and women can share it, and accoya wood finish.

although not part of the series, the scheme is aligned with the tokyo toilet project — an initiative which includes designs by tadao ando, shigeru ban, and fumihiko maki.

all images by kenta hasegawa | video courtesy of suppose design office

reconsidering the impression, function and usage of the conventional public toilet, suppose design office has developed the project as an urban work of art. the 7.5-meter-tall concrete box floats gently above the ground, while the open gap of 50 cm at its bottom blurs the boundaries between inside and outside. its appearance changes depending on the season and time thanks to the interaction between the material and light.

two pillars in the center of the elongated, narrow volume enclose the toilet booths and support the washbasins, while a skylight allows natural light to enter and cast intricate shadows inside the building. the result is an easy-to-use, high quality space that prioritizes rationality and diversity and moves away from public toilet clichés. the boundary between the city and the architecture is blurred, and their relationship is manifested by contradictions such as ‘floating/heavy’ or ‘light/darkness’.

project info:

name: public toilet in sendagaya station

architect: suppose design office

location: shibuya-ku, tokyo, japan

use: public toilet

site area: 75.92 sqm

total floor area: 75.92 sqm

structure engineer: tatsu (ZEN hol)

facility design: ohno japan

lighting design: modulex