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.
- The Johnson Creek trailhead restrooms under the MoPac Bridge by Studio8 Architects was built in 2013. The structure is made of concrete and green rebar fence with an open wash area.
- The Heron Creek restrooms at the Butler Trail by Mell Lawrence Architects was built in 2015.
LEARN MORE:
