City on the pot about public toilet redesign

San Francisco Public Works finished the testing phase of its planned overhaul of San Francisco public toilets today. Now it’s up to City Hall to decide which of three new designs might soon service a corner near you.

According to a Public Works press release, “Public Works, in partnership with the JCDecaux outdoor furniture company, is embarking on a once-in-a-generation replacement of San Francisco’s on-street public toilets and multi-function kiosks.”

JCDecaux are the same company behind the 25 green and gold public toilets installed in 1995. The city held a design competition and narrowed the new models down to three potential designs.

Here’s the rundown:

Branch Creative:

“Distinct textured metal surfaces and curved façade indicate their purpose, whether for way-finding or use of the facilities. [...] On both the single and double toilets, the curved ends create a sense of place for tourists and attendants, while discouraging loitering.

[...] The perforated metal facade on the sidewalk and street side of the structure allows passive and active ventilation and can be illuminated with neighborhood specific digital signage and/or graphics. The interior color and lighting can be adapted to reflect the diversity of San Francisco’s eclectic districts.

Rendering courtesy of SmithGroupJJR

Smithgroup JJR:

Trees levitating above the San Francisco urban landscape landmark much needed amenities while bettering the environment. [...] The new kiosks and ‘toileTREEs’ line contrastingly [sic] different neighborhoods from downtown’s concrete jungle to the multiple urban parks, enhancing each by reflecting the character of their surroundings. Adaptation of the structures are achieved through the materiality’s [sic] reflectivity and resilient surface.

MIN Design:

The urban structures’ shell compliments varying neighborhood contexts through immediate visual adaptability. [...] The structures’ exterior envelope is welcoming with a clean, crisp and fun appeal not often associated with publicly used amenities, but very much representative of the city’s influence on technology. The shell can also become activated by advertisements, transforming the forms into colorful and interactive pieces.

The city’s Civic Design Review and Architectural Review committees will consider the three contenders in June.

• Redesign of SF Public Toilets [Public Works]
• Branch Creative Design
• Smithgroup JJR Design
• MIN Design