A COMPREHENSIVE CONCEPT FOR THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC TOILETS IN THE CITY OF DÜSSELDORF
The design of the new Düsseldorf public toilets combines aspects of sustainability with modern technology and materials. The shell of the facilities is designed as a recognisable shape around a functional core. The folded roof is a distinctive element that is recognised in the city. The colours of the modular system are coordinated with Düsseldorf’s street furniture and blend simply and elegantly into the city scape. Urban public spaces are a limited resource, so the requirement for the modular facility was to achieve a floor plan with the lowest possible space consumption, while still achieving maximum hygiene and accessibility in the interior in accordance with the VDI 3818 and DIN 18040-1 standards.
The modular facility has two rooms: the main space is the user room, the publicly accessible area, equipped with a self-cleaning toilet bowl, a washbasin that can be accessed from underneath and a fold-out baby changing table. For wheelchair users, there is a movement area of 150 mm x 150 mm in front of all sanitary objects.
The operating elements and the building envelope are designed for orientation for people with visual impairments and elderly people. A light band with changing colour display for “free” and “occupied”, an attention strip on the façade and a floor marking in the outdoor area make it easier to find and recognise the public toilet in the urban space.
By greening the roof with native meadow flowers and herbs, the modular toilets contribute to improving the urban climate and create additional rainwater infiltration areas, bind fine dust, cool the air, improve the quality of public spaces and create habitats for insects. In addition, all components of the building are designed in such a way that they can be can be recycled and dismantled.