10 of the best architectural toilets
When someone says Norway, many things come to mind, like snow-capped mountains, breathtaking fjords, glaciers, unmatched beauty, and the northern lights. But what about toilets?
These aren’t your typical restrooms; they were created by both regional and international architects to blend in with their surroundings. Some even let you poop while taking in the beautiful scenery.
According to this article, here are some of the most beautiful architectural toilets you could find in Norway.
10. Akkarvikodden: Scenic Route Lofoten
Manthey Kula created this radically inclined restroom at Akkarvikodden on the Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten to resemble the skyline the untamed mountains have cut out behind them. The building, which was completed in 2009, is completely devoid of windows and instead features enormous, almost panoramic glass roofs that let light pour in from above.
9. Ostasteidn: Scenic Route Ryfylke
On the Norwegian Scenic Highway Ryfylke, you may find this remarkable structure created by KAP architecture along the side of Sandsfjorden. Although it may appear to be empty right now, it has recently been “painted” with a moss mixture that will encourage moss to grow on all of its numerous angles. With time, its live green garment will help it meld more naturally into its environment. The building and the surrounding region will be completely natural and unrecognizable from their current state in a few short years, in accordance with the principles of the Norwegian Scenic Routes. Further steps have been taken to restore the local soils and establish pine trees.
8. Skjervsfossen: Scenic Route Hardanger
The opportunity to consider the waterfall’s potential as a tourist destination was right around the corner when a new tunnel was built in 2011 to divert heavy traffic away from it. A restroom structure was needed to coexist with the natural wonder while providing a safe space to see the 135-meter falls. It might not seem like the most obvious location for a rest area to be next to a waterfall, but Fortunen, the architect in charge of designing the structure, didn’t think so. In order to maintain the building’s local relevance, they created an angular, transparent structure with floor-to-ceiling windows that are covered in native stone. Later, the structure on Scenic Route Hardanger became the 2016 World Architecture News Small Spaces Award winner.
7. Gullsdassen: Scenic Route Senja
Few people can claim to have used a golden toilet to relieve themselves. Yet, the chance can be discovered on Scenic Route Senja in a public restroom. Most guests will already feel like a Viking king or queen due to the pristine surroundings; the restrooms only serve to maintain that impression. Although visitors flock to Ersfjord to take in the breathtaking scenery, this brass-plated outhouse has grown to be a draw all on its own. There were some raised eyebrows when the building’s initial asking price of 3.75 million kroner was announced, and there is disagreement about whether or not the golden toilet is priceless.
6. Stegastein: Scenic Route Aurlandsfjellet
The toilet next to Stegastein is an architectural wonder that has been dubbed “the world’s most beautiful toilet”; it is an unparalleled vantage point. Wandering out 30 meters over the edge of the mountainside to Aurlandsfjorden below draws thousands of tourists each year. The convenience building was designed by Todd Saunders, who also designed the restrooms, to provide the same breathtaking view. The restroom on Scenic Route Aurlandsfjellet is also placed out over the expansive mountainside (650 meters above fjord level), providing visitors with a panoramic view of the fjord without allowing anyone to look inside. Definitely, the most amazing view ever seen out of a toilet window.
5. Selvika: Norwegian Scenic Route Havøysund
When Reiulf Ramstad Architects created its architectural marvel next to Selvika Beach on Scenic Route Havøysund, they had a very specific goal in mind. The road to the restroom’s unusually shaped sweeping hairpin curves, which wouldn’t seem out of place on a racetrack, is intended to force walkers to gaze out over the surrounding environment in all directions and appreciate what they see. The subject’s sight line travels over land, the shore, and the sea as the path curves back and forth. There are a number of interesting things to see in the area, including Neolithic villages, Sami culture, and regional cultural sites.
4. Bukkekjerka: Norwegian Scenic Route Andøya
If they weren’t marked, you might not even see the Bukkekjerka restrooms on Scenic Route Andøya from some perspectives. You can be deceived by the mirror walls’ reflections against the bare, cliffside rocks that surround them. The rocky surroundings also served as inspiration for the sweeping concrete slabs at the building’s front. The mirrors are oddly only facing one direction, so while the outside of the structure serves to conceal it, the interior provides a panoramic picture of the surrounding coastline. The project’s architects, MORFEUS, had a lot of difficulties to overcome. The project was challenging to complete due to the site’s extreme remoteness, frequent harsh and windy weather, and other factors.
3. Allmannajuvet: Scenic Route Ryfylke
The Allmannajuvet restrooms on Scenic Route Ryfylke are part of a larger collection of architectural marvels at the Zinc Mine Museum, which was created by internationally known Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Here, in order to “spend a penny”, one must peer out of a tiny hole window in a structure that hangs precariously over the ground below. Even the toilet has a corrugated zinc roof as a remembrance of the past of the area’s past. Several admirers of architecture make it a point to go out of their way to visit Zumthor’s creations when in Norway, learning in the process about the intriguing history and extreme hardships endured by the mine’s workers during their brief heyday in the late 1800s.
2. Eggum: Scenic Route Lofoten
The restrooms outside the fishing village of Eggum in Lofoten, which resemble more of an amphitheater than a lavatory, offer an unusual pit stop for visitors traveling along the Norwegian Scenic Route Lofoten. Eggum is a well-known location for seeing the midnight sun in the summer, although people are fascinated by a variety of things. It’s no accident that the toilet has an odd form and appearance; these facilities were made from an old quarry. The ultra-modern restroom building’s facade was made from driftwood that washed up on the coastline during a storm, continuing the creative recycling.
1. Ureddplassen: Scenic Route Helgelandskysten
Scenic Route Helgelandskysten. The submarine “Uredd,” which means “unafraid” or “fearless,” hit a mine here and sank. Ureddplassen is a World War II memorial site. Besides the distinctive structure, which looks out onto the rough mountains of the Gildeskål municipality, the architects Haugen/Zohar also erected simple, basic benches with the intention of creating a setting lovely enough for a picnic. We would say that they have definitely been successful.
Photo by Steinar Skaar; Statens Vegvesen; Silja Lena Løken; Morfeus Arkitekter; Frid-Jorunn Stabell; Lars Grimsby; Paul Warchol.
