Man peeved by ‘thin dividers’ and no space for bags in Bras Basah MRT toilet, calls for ‘careful planning’
A man has expressed concerns about the male toilet in Bras Basah MRT station, calling the dividers between urinals “so thin”.
Stomper N said that he does not frequent the MRT station and had only been to the male toilet there once this June.
However, upon reading about Stomper Leon Hart’s feedback on the male toilet in Farrer Park MRT station, he decided to write to Stomp on Sept 1 with his longstanding concerns about the toilet in Bras Basah MRT station.
He shared a photo of the toilet with Stomp.
“The vanity divider so thin cannot shade any privacy,” the Stomper lamented.
He added that the dividers between the urinals are “too narrow” and that if someone were to use the adjacent urinal, the dividers would “not block any view”.
N identified himself as an architect and said that the dividers appeared to be selected to match the wall panels. In his view, it was “not appropriate” to do so.
He also feels that urinals with bigger side wings could have been used for more privacy.
A second gripe he had was with the lack of space to place his belongings.
“Imagine you go to the toilet on your way to catch an MRT; where do you put your bags when you pee?” questioned N.
He pointed out that in male toilets of “most” shopping centres, there is usually a small shelf or ledge to place one’s belongings “when you do your business”.
Lastly, the Stomper feels that there should be more drains in the toilet – one under each urinal. “For easy cleaning and clean air,” explained N.
Stomp understands that there are no fixed regulations on the measurements of modesty boards between urinals.
However, the Restroom Association (Singapore) recommends that urinals be separated by modesty boards measuring no less than 300mm x 1800mm or 30cm x 180cm to act as visual barriers.
The guideline states: “The modesty boards should be high enough to block the view of other users. However, it should not extend right down to the floor to facilitate cleaning accessibility.”
The association explains that the modesty boards are there to reduce the likelihood of patrons feeling shy about using the urinals.
In addition, the association suggests installing scupper drains or stainless steel grating over the drainage that sits below the urinal bowls.
Award-winning architecture
Bras Basah MRT station began operations in April 2010 and was designed by Singapore-based architectural firm WOHA.
The station won various design awards between 2009 and 2011.
Notably, it was named the World Transport Building of the Year at the 2009 World Architecture Festival.
Despite its accolades, N wanted to share feedback on its toilet to “bring awareness to the careful planning of public spaces”.
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