Royal Ontario Currelly Hall Washroom renewal

Toronto, Canada

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Royal Ontario Currelly Hall Washroom renewal

Toronto, Canada

Firm

Superkül

Type

Cultural › Museum

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2014

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

BUDGET

$500K - 1M

The re-imagined Currelly Hall public washrooms on the main floor of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) bring new life and signature design to a highly pragmatic program. Renovated in 2014 for the ROM’s centenary, the washrooms are the most prominent and heavily used facilities in the building, which welcomes over one million visitors per year.

The client required the renovation to be both bullet-proof and memorable. Currelly Hall accommodates various users and functions on a daily basis, from school-aged children and tourists visiting the collections during the day to donors, patrons and celebrities attending galas, fundraisers and weddings in the evenings. Durability and elegance were key design objectives, which the design achieves through a reconfiguration of the existing layout and a careful curation and application/install of materials.

The washroom’s durable surfaces, functionality and accessible design have been crafted for ease of use by all ages and abilities while keeping maintenance to a minimum. The most prominent feature of the washrooms is a unique, sinuous element that combines the function of a counter with an ADA compliant trough-style sink at two heights -- one for children and the other for adults and those in mobility devices – and complete with an integral baby changing table and diaper disposal. Complemented by combination water faucet-hand dryers, the all-in-one Corian element allows visitors to both wash and dry their hands at one location; shortening the time spent in the washroom by reducing cross-over traffic, which ensures a cleaner and drier floor, lowers operating costs and eliminates waste. Ceiling mounted partitions, wall mounted plumbing fixtures, and seamless terrazzo flooring further aid in reducing maintenance while bronze arcs and circles in the floor, as well as disc shaped dimmable ceiling lights reinforce the space’s curvilinear theme.