Brighton Baths Public Toilet

Public amenities might be a relatively small project but they must be one of the most difficult to design, deliver and maintain. Prone to vandals, there are few, if any, public toilets that haven’t been graffitied, perhaps the exception being those in Japan.

These amenities, commissioned by Bayside Council, had to not only address the prevalence of vandalism, but their location close to the sea and requiring protection from corrosion by from the heavily salted air. While brick is one option, it’s costly and is the ideal surface for the spray can.

For these amenities, located on a reserve adjacent to Brighton Baths, Ardent used Mod Wood, a composite of sawdust and resin that’s often used for domestic decking. As well as not fading or rotting, it can be treated with a polymer coating that allows any graffiti to be simply removed. This simple structure comprises a couple of toilets, one that has access for the disabled, and a shared hand basin that’s used by both. Concrete floors and a specifically designed drain behind these amenities eliminate the need for external gutters, often ripped off by vandals or damaged when they try to access the roof. The roof, made of corrugated steel with bands of laserlite, also reduces the need for artificial lighting and wire between the walls and roofline prevent birds from entering. Natural ventilation is also an important by-product. Even the stainless-steel toilet seat has been moulded to its base to prevent removal.

Complete with vibrant luminescent green doors, similar amenities based on this model have been reproduced by Ardent Architects in other parts of Melbourne, including foreshores, parks and in other highly visited areas. While the scale of this project may be modest, everyone calls on these amenities at some point, and its unusual to see one that hasn’t been defaced and remains in good order.