Year 1 · Public infrastructure / 08
IN1001–1002
Public Toilet
A small civic room at the Ancient Lotus Pond
A 10-square-metre public toilet for the Ancient Lotus Pond scenic area in Baoding, shaped by the lotus leaf.
Context
The site is a historic garden in central Baoding, with low, flat terrain, clay soil and a high volume of tourists. The brief was small, but the constraints were not: drainage, heritage views, accessibility and peak-hour capacity.
The building had to be legible as a public facility without competing with the garden. It also had to be easy to clean, maintain and supervise.
Question
Can a public toilet be more than a service box?
Response
The roof is a shallow, folded canopy derived from the lotus leaf: a single surface that collects and sheds water, and reads as landscape rather than building. The plan separates accessible, family and standard stalls; a central wash run is shared. The structure is kept low and recessive.
The canopy extends beyond the enclosed volume to create a covered threshold —a place to wait, queue or escape the rain. The material palette is muted: timber, stone and a soft green roof.
Outcome
The project is an argument for the dignity of ordinary public infrastructure. It is small, but it is part of how a place treats its visitors.
Dignity is designed in the details no one photographs.
