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Lady Bird Trail Restroom

Cummings St

Austin, TX 78701

Built:  2007

Architect:  Miró Rivera Architects

Show Description:

Along the Lady Bird Trail located near downtown Austin, a series of pre-rusted, vertical panels, jut out into what appears to be a spiral art installation. The abstract structure serves a vital purpose to parkgoers—the public restroom. Local firm Miró Rivera Architects explain that the structure was designed to look like a sculpture in the park.


Highlights:

  • The 70 ft. sq. ft. restroom is located on the north end of Lady Bird Lake.
  • 49 vertical metal panels, ¾ inch thick and ranging from 2 to 13 feet, form the walls around the enclosure and line the pathway.
  • Both the roof and door are made of a single metal plate. The door weighs 840 lbs.
  • Natural light comes through the gaps between the vertical slates and the roof.

Texas Architect Sept/Oct 2008: Design Awards


If you go:

The Trail Conservancy, formerly the Trail Foundation, is the non-profileprofit organization charged with protecting and enhancing the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake. A survey of the trail’s users noted that clean and aesthetically pleasing bathrooms are a top priority for the users. After the successful completion of the Miró Rivera Restrooms in 2007, the Foundation followed up with two more contemporary style restrooms along the trail.


LEARN MORE:

Trail Restroom