Fifteen years
after the installation of the first public restrooms designed by Patrick Jouin
iD and actualized by JCDecaux for the City of Paris, we propose a modernization
of the design and aesthetics while preserving the identity of the Parisian public
restrooms.
"The public restrooms
of Paris retain their character and evolve with delicacy towards a more sober
and refined aesthetic. "
Patrick Jouin
A design that is
both new and resolutely familiar. In the aesthetic continuity of the current public
restrooms, a contemporary design with timeless lines is presented, guaranteeing
the obvious connection with the current street furniture, and facilitating its
insertion into the architectural and urban landscape. Their aesthetic is
consistent with the Manifesto for Beauty carried by the City of Paris. The urban
anchoring of the public restrooms begins with the base, the roughest piece. A
real link between the different squares and sidewalks where it will be
installed, constituting an architectural signature specific to Paris, a
reference to the aedicule objects of metro and the candelabras.
These new public restrooms
have been designed with the aim of meeting the service expectations of our time
and are based on an improvement in their functionalities: doubling of capacity
with the addition of a urinal, reduction of waiting time, PRM access and a fountain
(with washbasin and soap). All the while maintaining the same influence as the
current public restrooms. The reflection on
signage is based on the use of standardized icons to allow universal translation,
accompanied by audio and Braille information, to facilitate its use by all.
By positioning signage
above the doors, orientation towards the restrooms or urinals are diagonally
opposed to one another which allows a dissociation of the queues. The access to
the restrooms or urinals is shifted from the pedestrian flow to guarantee more
privacy.
In order to be
accessible to pedestrians the water fountain and soap dispenser are placed
outside next to the city map.
Inside, a large
opalescent glass strip, positioned on the lateral length, by the roadside,
allows natural light to enter the cabin, thus offering a connection with the
outside. White, green, and grey have been favored to accentuate the feeling of
space, cleanliness, and well-being, in coherence with the aesthetics of the city.
Respectful to the
environment, the new public restrooms are part of a sobriety approach to
resource consumption: they are designed from recyclable materials, they will
run on renewable electricity, their water consumption will be reduced by almost
two-thirds and their electricity consumption by a third compared to current
equipment.
The 435 new
generation self-maintaining public restrooms will be gradually deployed between
2024 and early 2025 to replace the current equipment.