Witty fun and optical illusion.

The Denver Zoo uses restroom areas to educate visitors through bold graphics on the stall doors and the floor. Designed by the Boulder-based firm ECOS Communications, the artwork is witty and engaging. As one approaches the restrooms, a linoleum stream of water populated with alligators and fish appears to flow out from under the restroom door. Kids entering the restroom can keep their feet out of the “water” by negotiation a line of “rocks.” Once inside the restroom visitors are greeted by a recorded soundtrack with information ranging from details about lobster urination to the zoo’s efforts in water conservation.

The public toilet as conceptual art.

Italian Artist Monica Bonvinici‘s acclaimed work entitled “Don’t Miss a Sec” is a toilet in a glass pavilion erected on the sidewalk near a construction site opposite London’s Tate Gallery.

Made from stainless steel and reflective glass, the temporary installation served construction workers who spent a year transforming the London Institute Millbank into the Chelsea College of Art and Design. The working toilet had a high quality stainless steel unit, designed for prisons, with a commode and a wash basin. From inside users had a panoramic view of the site. Pedestrians passing by saw only their reflection and that of surrounding urban landscape. Bonvinici’s innovative design has been exhibited in other locations, including Basel, Switzerland.