Pritzker Prize-winning architect Toyo Ito has unveiled a public bathroom in the shape of three mushrooms as part of the Tokyo Toilet project. 

Ito’s contribution is the 11th toilet to open out of the 17 spread and planned across Tokyo’s Shibuya district. The unique bathroom is located at the bottom of a staircase that leads to the Yoyogi Hachimangu shrine. The toilet is split into three cylindrical structures topped with domed roofs that create a form reminiscent of the mushrooms found in the forest surrounding the shrine. 

The decision to create three separate buildings is also for the purpose of creating a space that has a high degree of security. The line of sight passes through the volumes, which makes the facility more inviting and calm. Replacing a pre-existing toilet, Ito’s project expands the space of each private room making them spacious enough to provide functions for elderly people and those with children. The functionalities are redistributed across both the men’s and women’s rooms. In addition, the roofs are raised above the walls to allow natural light and air into the toilets. 

“I didn't want to use public toilets as much as I could, even as a man,” said Ito. “Therefore, this time, I would like to try a casual design that can be used calmly and with peace of mind, and I was happy to accept it. I hope that the Yoyogi-Hachiman Public Toilet installed this time will be a toilet that gives women a sense of security that can be used even at night and a toilet that has an inconspicuous design and can be used casually."

Ito is joined by fellow Pritzker Prize-winning architects Tadao Ando, Shigeru Ban, and Fumihiko Maki for the Tokyo Toilet project. A toilet by Japanese fashion designer Nigo was recently opened in Tokyo’s Harajuku district. The remaining bathrooms are set for completion through 2021.