LaPee
And you, would you use this pink outdoor toilet?
- Of course!65%
- I will continue to pee behind the bushes.13%
- No, I prefer to wait in line.22%
The competition has ended.
Women's urinals for shorter waiting times
Two young designers have solved the problem of long queues with the new "LaPee" urinal, which makes it easier for women to go to the toilet at busy outdoor events.
You know right away where the women's toilets are at festivals. You can recognise them by the long queues and the slightly tense faces of those waiting outside the doors. To put an end to this, two designers Gina Périer and Alexander Egebjerg from Copenhagen have developed the "LaPee" urinal.
More efficient and safer
In contrast to conventional mobile toilet cubicles, LaPee offers space for several users at the same time. The pink recyclable plastic helix-shaped structure with curved backrest contains three urinals, increasing its efficiency sixfold compared to standard cubicles.
Not only do urinals shorten waiting times, they also promote gender equality: "There are no such women-only facilities. The absence of urinals for women has a significant impact on gender equality, especially at outdoor events", explains Gina Périer. While men can urinate easily and quickly, women don't have it easy with conventional outdoor toilet cubicles. Nor are bushes a satisfactory substitute.
Lapee offers more privacy, keeps the festival grounds cleaner and makes it safer than lockable urinals. The open design avoids the usual incidents of people getting trapped in the toilet. What's more, the fact that the head protrudes over the edge is quite deliberate. This gives users the opportunity to intervene and perceive the situation around them. The enveloping design and the small step provide a degree of privacy in this area. Unlike urinals that force men to expose themselves, the LaPee urinal is designed to protect women users. The height of LaPee gives strength, because you can see what's going on around you. A user crouching down in this urinal is at the same level as a man standing next to her," explains Alexander Egebjerg.
Early test results: LaPee, popularity and Instagram
After the first test at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in July, there were many positive comments on the internet and photos (and videos!) of delighted users. And the best part? LaPee is pink. So you can see them from a distance. Hopefully, they'll soon be appearing at events in Switzerland. I'm also looking forward to trying them out myself, even though sticking my head out is a matter of habit. What is clear is that this invention makes a valuable contribution to our society and shows how design can solve certain problems.
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Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.