A circular toilet to tackle the global lack of water
Circular sanitation systems are a key response to the global water crisis, especially when linked to social justice. As part of Open for Maintenance, a side room of the German Pavilion was transformed into a waterless, gender-neutral, and accessible toilet that was open to all visitors. This prototype demonstrated how composting and separating toilets can save water and recover nutrients, which can be reused as fertilizer. Equally important was the social dimension: care, cleaning, and maintenance were not outsourced but visibly carried out by the curators themselves. In this way, care work was understood as an integral part of architectural practice. The experiment opened a public discourse on hygiene, resource justice, and the necessary sanitary revolution.
