Restroom for Women From Old Shipping Container

The lack of washrooms, particularly for women, is a major concern in India. More so, public washrooms are always considered not upto the sanitation standards. Keeping all these things in mind, Ar. Rohit Chavan has created this washroom for women. The concept here is much beyond, presenting the washroom as a social gathering place. SURFACES REPORTER is happy to see such work done by the young designer and hopes to see more such work in near future.

 

 

Young Architect Rohan Chavan created THE LIGHT BOX – RESTROOM FOR WOMEN from an old shipping container. The structure which stands at the side of the eastern express highway – one of the busiest roads in the Mumbai metropolitan area – has been constructed under an overhanging tree which allows light to filter down onto the fuchsia pink floor. The layout features a toilet situated at both sides, with an open space at the middle for people to meet and interact.

“In a warm climate like India, people have a very different relationship to built form. One needs but minimal protection, such as a chhatri (an overhead canopy), during the day. In the early morning and at night, the best place to be is outdoors, under the sky." - Charles Correa

‘Restroom’ is not just a polished word for toilet at Agasti, a social enterprise working in urban sanitation in Mumbai. Here, a Restroom is a public toilet that is unique in terms of both form and function. Beyond the obvious toilet blocks, the Restrooms aim to provide women an exclusive social space, something that is a typical of urban landscape in India.