The city of Lausanne, Switzerland is the home of a modern public toilet with transparent walls.
The walls are partly made from liquid crystal glass. If the visitors want some privacy, they can press the “voir” button and the walls will become opaque under electric tension.
Transparent Toilet Design by Oloom in 2008
Don’t Miss A Sec Toilet
Similar toilet was showcased at Basel art fair in Switzerland, back in 2004:
Don’t Miss A Sec by Monica Bonvicini was an outdoor toilet temporary installed on a crowded street adjacent to the fair. One way glass allowed users to continue seeing art and people while not being seen themselves.
Also check out: Olympic Divers on the Toilet
karen
HILARIOUS. they should put these in SF and NY so ppl wont miss parades :D
May 27th, 2009
Helene
Brilliant! Can’t see it catching on here in Ireland though. We had several public pod loos in Dublin and no one used them.
May 28th, 2009
Jaqi Mugo
I think they should be like armoured limos, where YOU can see out but no-one can see in. Lol!
May 28th, 2009
richiee
Love the idea! In Japan I once was in a club which had a similar approach. The urinal was on a one-side-see-through wall where you had a perfect view on the dancefloor and many people seemed to watch your exposed best thing where they were actually watching their dance moves in the mirror on the other side!
May 28th, 2009
Bob
What a colossal waste of tax payer’s money. John Carey was right, there is a lot to learn from Europe… mostly how to waste money.
May 28th, 2009
ae_aem
Toilets have been paid by a private holding, owner of the area.
May 28th, 2009
Beezy
LMAO @ karen….too funny
May 28th, 2009
TeLeViSiOn SpY
They have one in Dallas, Texas right in the downtown area. Or at least they used to.
May 28th, 2009
Mario
@Bob: It is not the EU it is Switzerland :P
May 28th, 2009
Chris Byrnes
Twenty years ago I saw something similar in (of all things) an ice cream parlor in West Palm Beach FL. The rear wall of the parlor was a clear glass wall with a door in it. The other side of the wall was the loo. Once inside the act of locking the door caused the wall to become opaque. The change took a few seconds and was accompanied by a rushing sound. It was a good surprise for first time visitors and the ice cream parlor became a tourist attraction for it.
May 29th, 2009
John
@Bob has to get his daily dose of complaining about “the government.” It never occurred to him not to jump to conclusions, or to simply enjoy the technological wonder (or plain chuckles) of the toilet.
If the government made cheese, @Bob would complain about the freshness, the cows used for the milk, the packaging, the price and the lack of variety. All that while eating his fill.
Unfortunately, his “commentary” is what passes for debate in the US right now.
May 29th, 2009
Tim Wright
That’s pretty intense!
May 29th, 2009
Roderi Mayne
That has got to be the stupidest idea I have ever heard
May 29th, 2009
Roderik Mayne
Further to above; it should be under the heading-“Why? Because we can.”
May 29th, 2009
Tom Rodeheaver
I don’t care how silly the thing is, it’s a public toilet. Something we are in great need of. Here in NYC we’re so bound up in silly rules and regs it useless to build one. If the State would just allow for pay toilets the issue would go away overnight.
May 29th, 2009
ivanogre
Sounds like pervert heaven to me. Just use your imagination…
May 29th, 2009
Cindy
interesting idea… we definitely need more public toilet here in New York, instead of always looking for macdonald’s
May 30th, 2009
XSRocks
Somebody still has to wash the glass and clean that darned thing out. Why didn’t they install a shower head in the ceiling so one could bathe there also?
May 30th, 2009
Jorge
What if the electricity goes out. Surprise!
May 31st, 2009
Marlene
*If* the visitors want some privacy? I think the one way mirror was a better idea! :-)
May 31st, 2009
Lin
One-way glass fine. But what if I don’t want to watch you take a dump? Meandering down the street, turn a corner, and ohdear! Not necessarily what I want with my breakfast croissant.
Jun 1st, 2009
Bob Hoffman
“they can press the “voir” button and the walls will become opaque under electric tension.” Electrical failure could be very embarassing.
Jun 1st, 2009
oloom
It could’nt be embarassing to have an electrical failure as the glass needs electricty to stay transparent…:)
All the concept about using this glass is to keep the toilet more clean then usual public toilet as people do know that once they open the door they will be seen with what they leave behibd them…
It also prevent to have to go inside to realise that it is unusable… and and and…
Jun 25th, 2009
Kevin Zheng
Actually I believe the Liquid Crystal glass works when a electric current is applied the glass becomes clear. But when the electric current isn’t running the class becomes opaque. The electric current causes the particles between the two glasses to line up allowing light to shine through. If there is no current the particles do NOT line up which causes the glass to become opaque…..and after tying all that i notice @oloom has already explained it lmfao.
Aug 1st, 2009
moi
I love how it says in the description: IF the visitors want some privacy, they can press the “voir” button… Do people actually take a dump in there while the walls are transparent?! Why would anyone do that?
Nov 13th, 2010
Super Intendant
I would personally choose to leave the glass transparent. The phenomena of electromagnetic wave polarization now allows me to poop in the open without being arrested. I have just been telling the authorities, “I didn’t know it was transparent, I swear it.”
Apr 14th, 2011
rayaa
nice lol
May 29th, 2011