We had a small staff ceremony this morning to celebrate the opening of the new loos in time for the public opening of Jasper Johns.
Many people think I am ridiculous to be so obsessed by the new loos, but I regard them as:-
a) a milestone in the road towards the completion of the project
b) a symbol of the fact that we have long needed and required better and more spacious public facilities
c) I like and admire the way that David Chipperfield has treated the space as if it has been discovered in the basement of a Roman aqueduct with brick vaulted ceilings
Next stop the undercroft:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
They look very smart.
I hope the lighting is suitable for the application of lipstick – a common flaw with loo lighting schemes
looking forward to taking a p… (and applying my lipstik) on the opening night but my invite seems to hav got lost in de post?
A visitors enjoyment can generally be measured by three criteria being meet, “a brew, a view and a loo” ( first heard this in relation to National Trust visitors at their properties)
The existing loos as you know at RA date from Norman Foster’s work on the Sackler Gallery in 1991, so have done incredible service! They were beginning to look rather tired, and the new Chipperfield loos look magnificent. You have every right to be proud and excited about this new chapter at RA just beginning
Having used them at the Jasper Johns opening last night, I agree that they are indeed excellent – as you might expect from loos designed by David Chipperfield.
Many congratulations !
Hurrah!
Excited to see them….
The new Lincoln Cathedral loos, their design, cost and installation,were an agenda item for the Fabric Council for fully ten years. A fine stone structure was eventually completed with some natural light and ventilation at a cost of nearly three quarters of a million pounds.
Aaaargh. The relief.
Glad I’m not alone in this preoccupation. Charles
May I add a request? Please make sure decent loo paper is installed, I’ve noticed the trend towards thin insubstantial paper – to save costs presumably – but such lovely loos deserve decent extras.
I hope the architect has provided more female than male loos to avoid those queues
They most definitely have ! Charles
How many stalls for men and how many for women?
Only two for the gents, and I haven’t counted the ladies. Charles
11 comments!!! And they say the English only talk about the weather!
You deserve to be “flushed with pride” at such magnificent loos. SUCH an important part of visitors’ experience – they will surely not be disappointed. Bravo!
The new loos are brilliant. There is one problem – the three hand dryers are too close together so the people using them are very squashed. Four dryers, better spaced, would be ideal.
Dear Patricia, Thank you for this helpful comment. I will pass it on to Stephen, not least because we need to learn from experience when it comes to the loos in Burlington Gardens. Charles