The public bathroom has remained an unspoken ideological battlefield. Despite being entrenched in issues of sanitation rights, gender equality and the growing privatization of public space, public bathrooms have remained a relatively taboo topic that is only now being properly discussed. Still, they have the ability to be a place of recluse, a sanctuary and an intimate gathering space. As we have learned from the Met Gala, restrooms have the ability to transform into vibrant, viral social space. With Nuit Blanche being one of the biggest parties of the year in Toronto, celebrating the city, its people and their work, we felt that it deserved a public washroom that matched. PORTA PARTY invites Nuit Blanche attendees to experience an inversion of traditional outdoor public washrooms. Located at both event centres (Nathan Phillips Square and University/College), the project uses a combination of landscaping, portable toilets and atmospheric lighting to encourage social activity in a traditionally anti-social space within the event. By allowing for a more conscious integration of an important piece of infrastructure for the event into its own fabric, we are more successfully able to capture the spirit of Nuit Blanche and provide a more interesting public space.
