Doing your business is serious stuff.  Sitting on the pot can be one of the most epiphanic experiences of your life. That’s where creativity strikes at its best. So isn’t it only fair that we have some food for thought whilst doing the oh-so-serious business? Whether or not you agree with the idea, there are some crazy people around the world who do. And they have gone ahead and  gifted humanity a few private moments of amusement and delight. Whenever you are in these cities, you must visit these quirky toilets!

The Glass Toilet, Switzerland

Can you dare to do this?

In the public eye

Somehow my prudish upbringing forces me to put this one on top of the list. It started as an art installation titled ‘Don’t Miss a Sec” by artist Monica Bonvicini. It is nothing but a glass cube built right in the middle of a pavement. Having a Jacuzzi facing the ocean was a thing of luxury. But sitting on the pot with people rushing past you is taking it too far. I am not even sure if people can actually take a dump sitting in a see-through toilet. Well, it’s not actually see-through. It’s a one-way mirror that separates you and unsuspecting office-goers. And you know the thing about one-way mirrors, right? They serve as looking mirrors. So, while you do it you will see people peering intently in your direction. But no worries. They can’t look. They are just admiring themselves in the mirror. But! But… if the projection of light is placed wrong, the one-side-painted glass can turn transparent! So, this is something only the most daring can do. Or maybe you can dare somebody to do it and secretly disturb the lighting. That would be just mean, but whatever.

Peeping Toms of New Zealand

What will you do if you find women armed with binoculars, measuring tapes and cameras peering at you as you take a piss? Would you be able to go? Okay this one is sure to make men smile, cringe, or even suffer from a performance anxiety. This is how the men’s bathroom at the Sofitel Queenstown hotel in New Zealand has been designed. As part of the opening celebrations, the hotel decided to lend some feminine charm to the men’s room. You’d find life-size photographs of attractive women peeping from behind every urinal. Some are amused, some seem fascinated, some want a closer look while some want to capture the sight in their cameras forever! Who said only men can leer? Women too can be intimidating.

That-Which-Cannot-Be-Seen, London

UriLift Public pop-up Toilet in London

You are walking on a London street at night. You are pretty sloshed. You need to pee. You spot a cylindrical public loo that looks like a time machine. You unburden yourself and head home. The very next morning you happen to pass by the same street. It’s the same place, the same pastry shop on the roadside, the same signboard on the crossing. But somehow you can’t spot the giant time-machine loo. No, you weren’t that drunk that you imagined the whole thing and peed on the pavement. It’s the loo that has vanished. This is the UriLift Public pop-up Toilet you’d find in London. These disappearing urinals are the perfect examples of utilization of space. They stand solid every night for the benefit of night-owls with a tad too many gallons of beer into their systems. Come morning and they do a Cinderalla act. Yes, they are sucked into the ground. Not a trace of the structure. Maybe that is also how houses disappear in horror stories.

The Lipstick Loos of Las Vegas

Don’t smudge the lipstick, dear

This is one lipstick you wouldn’t want to taste. Las Vegas is where anything can happen-which is why these mouth-shaped urinals at the Red Rock Casino shouldn’t surprise you. You can be mildly amused though. Seriously, so much to alleviate boredom in the men’s room.

Get, Set, Aim! Only the Japanese Can Do It!

Play and pee

High score

This is the ultimate practise session for those who can’t aim well. The Sega Toylet lets you play while you pee. The video game runs through sensors in the urinal. The player needs high concentration, good aim, volume and er…pressure. Now video games can be challenging and addictive. It is quite likely that in a bid to gain a high score you might end up wetting your shoes. Boys will be boys, quite disgustingly so sometimes.

The Wanna-be-James-Bond Loo, Wisconsin

It all depends on control

This is only for those with lots of patience and great bladder control. Because you have to go through a series of mazes to get to the bathroom. It is part of a spy-themed restaurant named Safe House in Milwaukee that throws clues, passwords, trick doors in the way of its visitors. The look and feel is very James Bond-ish. But the real test of your detective skills lies in the trip to the bathroom where you will have to dodge every possible hurdle to be able to take a piss. 

Nishi Jain

Nishi Jain spent some precious years of her life studying English literature, editing novels, and writing newspaper articles. Then one day, as she was sitting under a tree with no branches, a rotten pancake fell on her head from the window above and she had her Newtonian moment. From then on, all she does is eat pancakes, write, and profess fake love to pastry chefs.

Nishi Jain – who has written posts on WAH Blog.

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