The Little Big Loo - Rethinking Public Toilets-2020

The ‘Yellow Turtle’
Honorable Mention - Competition Organised by Volume zero

In India people have moreover been deprived of a clean and accessible toilet in public spaces. The Gateway of India in Mumbai is a colonial monument of national importance situated at the south eastern tip of Mumbai along the Arabian Sea. Currently, it is a place for tourism, recreation and a major transit interchange which has a jetty to travel to Mandwa, Elephanta caves, Alibaug etc via the sea route. With the adjacent classical building of the Taj Mahal Hotel and other historical ones it is precinct of rich architectural heritage. Tourists from across the world flock this place to taste the heritage of colonial India.
Public places like these have always felt a need of good basic facilities for visitors in which toilets play a major role as people spend most of their day at this space. The idea of a public toilet ‘The Yellow Turtle’ is a stationary module which serves its primary purpose but also acts as monument itself and a resting place, a social space for cultural events, a meeting place for friends and familes and a space to appreciate the monument and sea. The intervention at the Gateway of India, consists of two modules on the plaza housing both male and female toilets, changing rooms, baby rooms, handicapped toilets, drinking water points and a seating space on top of it. These modules are placed in such a way that it does not disturb the visual axis of the monument nor the pedestrian circulation. Infact it enhances the pedestrian experience for the ones visiting the monument and for the people taking a ferry to nearby towns and islands.
The form of the building is true to its function with an amphitheatre like seating on the roof which is enhanced by avertical water tank tower. The yellow color makes it easy for people to identify it from a distance and adds a drama to the overall urban landscape. The ‘Yellow Turtle’ is a repetitive module and can be scaled up or scaled down according to the contextual requirement
Public toilets have always been located at a corner or on the side of a public space. This intervention is an attempt to make toilets a visual addition to the space and treat them as an integral part of it.