“An Enchanting Oasis: Inside the World’s Most Beautiful Public Bathroom in Nanjing”
Beautiful Public Bathroom in Nanjing
Beautiful Public Bathroom in Nanjing: Nestled on the sixth floor of a Nanjing shopping mall is an extraordinary public bathroom, considered by some as the most stunning of its kind worldwide. Designed by X+Living, an architecture firm based in Shanghai, this bathroom within the Deji Plaza shopping mall in Nanjing, China, creates an unexpected ambiance reminiscent of a whimsical palace.
Unlike typical public bathrooms, it offers a unique experience right from the entrance—a long corridor adorned with plants emerging from the walls. Intended to provide an immersive walk-through-a-garden experience, the green décor competes for attention with numerous grand lamps casting light from above, their radiance reflecting on the glossy floor.
At the end of this enchanting corridor, there is a lounge area featuring a sofa inspired by flower petals. Visitors who don’t need to use the restroom can comfortably wait here for their companions. The men’s and women’s facilities are individually designed with custom decor, including washbasins reminiscent of fountains placed at varying heights to cater to both children and adults.
Designer Li Xiang explained, “A washroom in a shopping mall is a public space open to everyone. It accommodates people in their busy urban life and provides them a space to take a break or re-organize themselves. During the design process, I didn’t want to create a purely functional space. Instead, we aimed to emphasize the washroom’s design to reflect humanistic care in unexpected corners of the shopping mall. This led us to develop the concept of a Sanctuary Garden.”
The bathroom boasts a multitude of design elements, ranging from abstract geometry and shapes inspired by flowers and insects to luxurious vanity chairs and abundant LED strips. Its design style defies easy categorization, standing out from the typical aesthetics found in shopping malls and public bathrooms.
As an interesting side note, China is also home to one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores, Dujiangyan Zhongshuge, located in Dujiangyan.
