Turnhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper): The city of Turnhout is suffering from vandalism in public toilets at the old city hall. The officials are now looking for solutions. To deter lingering users, artist Toon Verbraeken proposed a “crime scene” theme with painted footprints and loud classical music.
Two years ago, Turnhout opened public toilets in the old city hall on the Grote Markt, providing a convenient stop for people in the busy city center. These toilets quickly became popular, but they soon faced problems. While most individuals vacated the warm space after a reasonable time during the colder months, dirty footprints were left on the floors, smudges on the white walls, and even the ceilings. The city’s best efforts to keep the toilets clean, including repainting the walls twice in two years, did not eradicate the problem. This is a source of frustration for the maintenance staff and the visitors.
How can cities creatively prevent vandalism in public toilets?
Since this continuous damage occurs, the city is trying to find a smart way for the public toilets. Painting over and over isn’t possible, so creative and permanent ways must be found to prevent these cases of vandalism and protect the walls. Officials need the toilets to stay clean and working while upholding the history of the old city hall. It intends to deal with the significant problem and make people proud of their community again.
The city has approached artist Toon Verbraeken from Turnhout to address issues of public toilets. He suggested painting footprints on the floor to create a scene that looks like a police investigation. Verbraeken said,
“I wanted to create a ‘crime scene’ to show that we’re taking this seriously.”
He believes this might discourage vandalism while adding an artistic element. To keep people from lingering, loud classical music is played inside the toilets.
