The shift from the personal to the public: The (small) room in the (large) city

Abstract

The public toilet is a functional piece of architecture. Due to its functional nature, it has the ability to affect everyone within the public realm. Public toilets have been shut by councils, forcing the public to resort to private institutions to fulfil their personal needs. This presents an issue to the public of any city who should have the right to toilet in a safe space, free from humiliation, with good hygiene and retaining dignity. The public toilet has highly social, political, historical, sexual and cultural implications that directly impact every individual. This thesis explores how the features and design of such a space have different personal implications and negotiates how these can all be considered in one highly personal room; the public toilet - the small room in the large city. This thesis interrogates this within small and large contexts, how the person is placed in both their public environment and the private environment within. Public architecture is a direct link between the respective city authority and the public, serving their needs without a capitalist agenda, architecturally reinforcing that their needs are valued. The need for public toilets is a narrative that is globally identified in large cities, becoming increasingly problematic as cities grow and become more dense. Therefore, with the current increasing population in Auckland city, public toilets and public architecture are needed more than ever. Understanding that the public toilet should be included into the fabric of a city that serves its citizens, can be translated into a public architecture. This thesis proposes an architectural ’system’, which has been explored and developed to apply to Auckland city, and can be implemented, adapted and personalised for any city in the world. The architectural system acts as a vein, running through the city, providing, toilets, lights, and areas for breastfeeding mothers, places to wash hands and to drink, showering facilities, busking facilities, book swaps and more. A stream of places where the public can feel valued for free, having their needs met in a variety of ways. The public toilet should not stand alone. It should be Integrated into what we know as the public space, to be among the rest of our city.