Foreign377’s new public toilet series began with a simple question: What would Tokyo’s poetic, quietly functional public toilets—like those in Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days”—look like if they were reinterpreted for Istanbul?
Drawing from the film’s gentle pace, its devotion to everyday rituals, and the refined honesty of Japanese urban design, we explored how these values could merge with Istanbul’s own layered, dynamic urban fabric. The result is a set of typologies that balance calmness with complexity, softness with density, and minimalism with cultural texture.
Each unit is conceived as a small architectural gesture, humble, human, and precise. Materials reference Istanbul’s streets: soft concrete tones, brushed metal, translucent surfaces that echo the city’s misty mornings, and subtle geometric patterns inspired by local craft. Forms remain clean and compact, much like Tokyo’s discreet public structures, yet they are adapted to Istanbul’s needs: high foot traffic, mixed demographics, and diverse public spaces from coastal promenades to historical districts.
Foreign377’s approach treats the public toilet not as urban afterthought, but as a micro-architecture piece that enhances daily life. These designs aim to bring clarity, dignity, and a small sense of ritual to one of the most universal public needs, bridging two cities, two cultures, and two ways of living through design.
