Garden Restroom | LAAB Architects

Garden Restroom is a public toilet LAAB Architects designed for the Salisbury Garden, a newly renovated public park in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong. Unlike a conventional boxy approach, our toilet design challenges the boundary between public and private space by bringing in natural surroundings into the washroom while maintaining a sense of privacy to optimize user experience.

The translucent facade rolls up to the roof, bringing natural sunlight to the interior; at night, the architecture lights up like a lantern in the dark.

We maintain a coherent experience of Salisbury Garden by borrowing the architectural language of adjacent buildings and using timber fins to design Garden Restroom. The diagonal pitched roof creates a dynamic spatial experience and provides a visual surprise for those standing from afar.

Inside the toilet, we construct a curvilinear wall to create an enclosure with a sense of privacy, while concealing light bulbs, speakers, and exhaust fans underneath. Garden Restroom plays the sound of flowing water, users can enjoy a moment of privacy with comfort and ease.

We document the historical prominence of Tsim She Tsui by erecting mosaic murals featuring the historic views of Victoria Harbour and Salisbury Road. The female restroom shows an image in the 1960s, featuring the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower and Terminus building (demolished in 1978), with Star Ferry Pier and the then-Peak-skyline in the background. The wall in the male restroom shows Salisbury Road in the 1950s, with the original Peninsula Hotel and the double-decker bus from the colonial era. We use anamorphic perspective to produce distorted images that can be perceptible only from a certain angle at the entrance. We also document Hong Kong toilet development by illustrating toilet typology behind cubicle doors, such as "Back Alley" and "Vacuum Toilet.”

Outside the Garden Restroom stands a stone-sculpted drinking fountain and a washing basin. The curvilinear shape responds to the profile of Garden Restroom; the dynamic form also caters to different heights of adults and kids. The green plants in the centre provide a relaxing environment for visitors to rest and refresh in the garden.

Garden Restroom has received accolades from various design communities, including the Japan Good Design Award, the DFA Design for Asia Awards, and the AIA (International Region) Award.

Project credits:

Design Architect:
LAAB Architects

Executive Architect & Authorized Person:
Ronald Lu & Partners 

Design Landscape Architect:
James Corner Field Operation

Executive Landscape Architect:
Urbis

Lighting Designer (Exterior):
Speirs & Major

Lighting Designer (Interior): Lightswitch 

M&E Engineer:
WSP

Signage Designer:
Pentagram 

Structural Engineer:
Arup

Photography & Videography:                
DCinematic, Studio UNIT Ltd, and LAAB Architects