Public toilets around the world are always dark, dirty, smelly and dangerous. Tokyo recently unveiled new public toilets in two parks that aim to address those concerns.
For one thing, they are brightly lit, colourful and another thing that may surprise you, It’s TRANSPARENT!
So, for those who need to go can check out the cleanliness and safety of the toilets without having to walk inside or touch a single thing.
This super cool transparent public toilets — designed by Shigeru Ban, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect — are made out of an opacity-changing “smart glass” that is already used in offices and other buildings to provide privacy when needed.
According to New York Times, the toilets were installed in Japan’s capital this month, coinciding with a nationwide campaign to phase out the city’s old-fashioned public toilets ahead of the now-delayed Summer Olympics. Set up in front of a cluster of trees in the Shibuya district, the toilets are pretty eye-catchy, tinted walls with colours like mango, watermelon, lime, violet and teal.
When occupied and locked properly, the tinted glass toilets become opaque. When the door is unlocked, an electric current realigns the crystals in the glass to allow more light to pass through, creating a transparent effect.