Let me just say right off, I don’t normally take photos when I’m in a toilet. In fact, I can honestly say I’ve only ever done it once. But it is a special case, because these are the Hundertwasser toilets, in Kawakawa, Northland.
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) was an Austrian architect and designer who settled in New Zealand in his later years. His work was informed by a humanist aesthetic; and characterised by irregular, organic forms and the use of unusual materials. Virtually all of his architectural commissions were carried out in Europe; the public toilets in Kawakawa being the main exception.
Hundertwasser first came to Northland during the 1970s, buying land and later spending increasing amounts of time in New Zealand. When the local council in Kawakawa decided to upgrade the town’s public toilets in 1998, Hundertwasser offered both a design, and considerable assistance in construction (1).
The result is rather wonderful. The walls and floor are covered with a mosaic of tiles, while light comes from glass bottles embedded in the concrete walls. A tree grows through the forecourt.
Not surprisingly, the toilets have become something of a tourist attraction. Albeit, a useful one.
This post was written for the Daily Post Photo Challenge From Every Angle
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One word – incredible!
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They are pretty amazing!
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Beautiful, as bathrooms should look, like an artist’s daydream. x
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Couldn’t agree more. 🙂
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I’ve got some photos of this place somewhere as well – and did you know that there is a Hundertwasser building planned for the Whangarei waterfront – can’t wait…
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Thanks Mureen. Yes; a friend of mine with a Bach at Ruakaka jumped the hoops to be allowed to vote in the referendum about the Hundertwasser building approval.
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and I’ve still got the ‘vote Hundertwasser’ sticker on the back of my car
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Oh i love it. It has a bit of a Gaudi in Mexico feel to it.
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Thanks; it does have a real Gaudi feel to it.
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Absolutely priceless….
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These are beautiful – yet still functional. Usually travel stories about toilets are horrific so this is a nice change!
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Ooooo, this is wonderful. I have fond memories of him and Vienna and the Hundertwasserhaus there. I love his fondness for uneven floors and sheer joy of his colours and forms. If I’m not mistaken, he even gave his suggestion for a new New Zealand flag. And also: he was born with the surname Stowasser but changed his name when the learnt that in several Slavic language (including mine, Slovenian), “sto” means “hundred”. 🙂
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Hi; so glad you like it. I love the sheer joyfulness of his work. You are right, he did suggest a new flag for NZ, and for Australia too. One of the designs put forward in our current “change the flag” referendum process is a little bit similar.I didn’t know that he had changed his name. Recently, the Whangarei Council (also in Northland, NZ) has approved the building of an arts centre based on Hundertwasser’s design from about 20 years ago. It will be a huge new development for the city and very exciting.
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Sounds like good news. Do you like his flag design and the new similar one?
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Not really. I think Hundertwasser’s design kind of threw the baby out with the bath water and tried to ignore our history. That seems wrong to me. We are not a new nation, or one emerging from conflict. We are more like a teenager wanting to move away from our parents (the British Commonwealth).
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🙂 Yeah, teenagers! Happy moving away!
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It will be great when it’s over. But the process is pretty painful.
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Goodness, theses are really beautiful loos. I had not heard of Hundertwasser before. I like the phrase Humanist aesthetic too, does that mean for the people?
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Hi Julie. I don’t think my photos really do them justice; they are gorgeous. I used the term to mean design that tries to understand and meet human needs — practical and emotional. 🙂
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Fantastic photos, Su. I would think of a Spanish artist if you hadn’t mentioned his name.
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It does look very much like Gaudi could have designed it!
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It surely does!
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It’s gorgeous!! I would have been taking photos too …. I NEVER see a public washroom that isn’t seriously grungy. This one is art!
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You can see why it’s a tourist attraction!
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What a BRILLIANT design – absolutely LOVE IT! 🙂
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