Why do boring when it comes to infrastructure? Believing so is Japanese architecture studio Kengo Kuma and Associates which has recently introduced mountain shaped toilets at a hiking trail overlooking Mount Fiji. Yes, you heard that right!
Situated at the Oath Hill Park, the collection of umbrella-shaped timber structures is inspired by the tapering form and snowy peak of Mount Fuji. The restrooms will service hikers and campers and are designed to blend in perfectly with the backdrop.
As designbloom states, Kengo Kuma ensured that each structural material contributes in a different manner to the final outcome. For instance, the wood was used flexibility, the steel for rigidity, and the roof membrane to permeate light giving the arbor a welcoming warmth.
The wooden structure is covered with a membrane finished with a fluorinated coating for weatherproofing. Further, the walls of the building are adorned in a white render that matches the colour of the roof that tops it, as well as the snow on Mount Fuji.
Commenting on it, the company on its website said, “We designed an umbrella-shaped eastern house and toilet that resonate with the shape of Mt. Fuji in the observation park on the hillside of the Kintaro Fujimi Line, which is famous as a sanctuary for hikers.”
It further added, “The plans, equipment, and interiors of each toilet that makes up the village are different to meet various needs (child-rearing, grooming, wheelchairs, etc.). By splitting the various private rooms into separate buildings, a well-ventilated, walk-through ‘public toilet village’ was created in the park, which was suitable for the post-corona era. The era of diversity and the era of forests have arrived for toilets.”
[Via: Dezeen]
