Magic Washrooms

Purple Pussycat

features

Washrooms

features, April 2008, COMMENTS

Traditionally the toilets of a venue have not been a particularly glamorous talking point, but more and more designers are proving that this doesn’t have to be the case. Far from being an after-thought, washrooms are fast becoming integral to the initial concept of a club or bar, as shown in the following pages.

Washrooms are a key service point of a venue that, if neglected, hold the potential to ruin a customer’s night out. Like the bar, they are returned to again and again, and serve a purpose, thus must be slick and operate smoothly.

Innovative design, LED and interactive technology are increasingly filtering through into the washrooms of premium venues, so that they are visually stimulating environments. As well as impressing customers, elaborately designed toilets also serve to draw attention away from any untidiness that may occur on a busy night. One particularly inspiring washroom environment that springs to mind is that of Mayhem nightclub in Southend-On-Sea (as reported in the last issue of NIGHT).

Sampson Associates implemented a one-way spy mirror between the ladies and gents, along with colour-changing urinals. Said Mike Chandler: “When it comes to the washrooms we try and be as outlandish as we can. We try to make them fun and part of the theatre of the club because they should be a continuation of the venue, not an after-thought.” The company also designed Escape’s bathrooms in Colchester to include a pole dancing practice pole in the ladies loos and interactive plasma screens in the men’s toilets. “We like to bring some fun into the toilets, whilst still using quality materials that are durable and look smart.”

Particularly for women, the washrooms are a place to socialise and an extension of the club’s experience. To this end, Sampson Associates are beginning to incorporate more chill-out seating within the toilets, along with areas for hair straighteners and make-up application. “With the girls we also ensure there is somewhere for them to put their drinks because we don’t want them leaving their drinks outside and at risk of being spiked.”

Neil Morten of GMP Design also emphasises the importance of the environment in the female toilets. “As the recent Licensing Act review confirmed, females are going out later, rather than staying out longer. This isn’t good news for nightclubs, so in order to attract clubbers earlier and encourage them to stay longer, we are encouraging what we call ‘dwell time’.

“The washroom space should be on par with other public areas. More furniture can and should be introduced to encourage people to stay just that little bit longer.

“This is nothing new,” continued Neil. “Javed Ahmed’s Maestro in Bradford nearly 20 years ago was one of the first ever nightclubs to win ‘Loo of the Year’ and little wonder. Aside from the leather Chesterfields, plush carpets, fish tank and fresh coffee, the toilets even had a hairdresser. Javed invested in the space just as much as he had in the rest of the venue and made a utility into a revenue generator.”

GMP Design has seen a departure from the old style chipboard cubicle doors with a limited life to frosted glass cubicles and more upholstered surfaces in washroom areas. Staff are on hand to ‘pamper’ the clubber, as well as assist in the reduction of vandalism. Neil said: “Venues have always zoned the main room music into toilets. Taking that a step further, there is no reason why it can’t have its own identity and music policy.” GMP has carved a niche in discovering new ideas; a side effect of working in the Far East is that Neil and his team are usually the first to consider new technology - the washroom is no exception.

“We are just costing a toilet seat from Taiwan that not only washes and warms your behind, but plays music whilst you do your business! It even has two different wash settings for male and females!”
@ Architect’s Nigel Samuel, who designed Route 69 in Northampton, reports that clients are increasingly incorporating the toilets into the design of the whole venue, which is reflected in the use of materials and types of fittings that are being installed.

“They are also wise to the ways in which the washrooms supply you with a captive audience for advertising,” he said, “and so we are seeing companies coming up with ingenious methods to display products. We have recently seen an advertising mirror that works on the proximity of the person using it.” Magic Advertising Mirror from Magic Display China is a unique mirror that switches to an advertising display. The ads are displayed when no one is standing in front of it, but it switches to the mirror mode when someone comes near the mirror to wash their hands.

Venue Showcase:

From: April 2008

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