A toilet tucked away on the sixth floor of the Deji Plaza shopping centre in Nanjing in China has become the country’s newest tourist craze. Even though they tend to be the smallest rooms in the house and a place where many people aren’t lingering any longer than necessary, the toilets at the shopping centre prove that a toilet can indeed be a magical place.
When entering the room, one of the first things you’ll see as a toilet-goer, or simply as a tourist, is the fountain, clattering away and masking any unwanted sounds. When taking a few extra steps, you’ll be greeted by an overload of luxury. Plants, emerald green and champagne-coloured wall-cladding, velvet sofas and vanity mirrors are all part of the decor. The overall atmosphere and decoration will soon make you think you’re in a fancy boudoir or dressing room instead of a public restroom.
According to C+Living, the Shanghai-based architecture firm that designed the new tourist attractions, the main source of inspiration for their work was nature. Flowers, plants and insects were used as such or turned into abstract forms in order to blend in better with the overall design.
“We designed this project hoping to pay tribute to the increasingly distant spring, under the current environmental crisis. Therefore we introduce the theme ‘Spring Garden’,” Li Xiang, lead designer and founder of X+Living, told Business Insider.
However, the designers of these toilets have thought about the practical aspects too. Other than comfortable couches and fancy faucets, you’ll find a nursing room, an accessible toilet and a parent-child room on the premises.
“We also integrated a lot of small functional details that could bring convenience to the visitors,” Li added in the interview. “For example, we have wireless charging bases in the dressing area of the washroom, while the sinks are designed at different heights to satisfy the needs of both adults and children.”
Those who have been able to visit the washroomalready, have been posting pictures on social media, making the toilets a source of inspiration for many of those who have renovated or are planning to renovate their own ‘smallest’ room.
