TOTO Asia Oceania marked a milestone in architectural dialogue and design innovation with the Asia Architect Talk 2025: THE TOKYO TOILET – Rethinking Public Design for Singapore’s Public Toilets. Held at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the event united leading architects, industry experts, and students to explore how design can redefine everyday urban experiences.
A Cross-Cultural Dialogue on the Future of Public Design
The evening featured two of Japan’s most visionary minds - Koji Yanai, producer of THE TOKYO TOILET project and Oscar-nominated film Perfect Days, and Sou Fujimoto, internationally acclaimed architect of the 2013 Serpentine Pavilion and Osaka Expo Pavilion.
They were joined by Ms. Lay Bee Yap, Group Director of Architecture & Urban Design at URA, and Prof. Erwin Viray, Senior Advisor at SUTD, who also moderated the dialogue.
Together, the panel examined how architecture can transcend functionality to shape inclusive, human-centric, and sustainable public spaces. Discussions revolved around four key pillars — design beyond function, inclusivity and accessibility, sustainability and future-proofing, and cross-border collaboration.
“Public design should move beyond necessity. It’s about dignity, accessibility, and the daily beauty of civic life,” shared Sou Fujimoto during the dialogue.
“Through THE TOKYO TOILET, we want to inspire cities to rethink how design can enrich even the most ordinary spaces,” added Koji Yanai.
Celebrating Young Visionaries: The Rethinking Public Toilet Student Design Contest
In September, TOTO Asia Oceania held The Tokyo Toilet – Singapore Student Contest, inviting young designers to reimagine public toilets as meaningful public architecture that is inclusive, sustainable, and beautifully integrated into the environment.
Set along Singapore’s Park Connector Network (PCN), participants were challenged to create conceptual designs that go beyond basic function to reflect values of community care, accessibility, integration with nature, and urban sustainability.
A total of 55 students took part in this initiative, showcasing inspiring ideas that redefined what public spaces can be. From these entries, five finalists were shortlisted and given the opportunity to present their concepts directly to Mr. Sou Fujimoto and Mr. Koji Yanai, before the Top 3 winners were selected during The Tokyo Toilet event.
🏆 1st Place – Tan Soon Kang William (23), Akrapong Kiatkongchayin (22), and Howard Budihartono (22) impressed the judges with their project “PLAYPAK”, a playful, modular toilet concept that reimagines the public restroom as an inclusive social node along Singapore’s Park Connector Network. Their chosen site: Bedok Reservoir Park.
🥈 2nd Place – Foo Qi Fang, from the National University of Singapore, for “Nest Room”, a design inspired by organic nesting forms that merge architecture with ecological sensitivity.
🥉 3rd Place – Jennifer Tang and Hannah Lee, recent graduates from SUTD, for “Arboreal Amenities”, envisioning toilets that blend seamlessly into forested park connectors through vertical greening and timber forms.
TOTO extends its sincere congratulations to all winners and participants for their creativity, effort, and vision. Their works embody the spirit of Design for All and the belief that one day, The Singapore Toilet can become a reality.
Design Meets Purpose: A Timely National Conversation
This year’s Architect Talk resonated strongly with Singapore’s national efforts to uplift hygiene and inclusivity in public facilities. Following the 2024 Public Toilets Task Force Report, which recommended grants for improved sanitation standards in local establishments, THE TOKYO TOILET serves as a timely benchmark - a model for how design, technology, and empathy can coexist in civic infrastructure.
“This dialogue reflects TOTO’s belief that design is not just about form, but the wellbeing of every individual who interacts with it,” said Mr. Yamamura Toru, President of TOTO Asia Oceania. “We are proud to create a platform where ideas, education, and design innovation intersect for the betterment of society.”
10 Years of Inspiration and Design Leadership
The 2025 edition marks a special milestone as it is the 10th anniversary of Sou Fujimoto’s first talk in Singapore. Since its inception in 2015, TOTO Asia Oceania’s Architect Talk series has become a flagship event that bridges design, industry, and academia across Asia, sparking meaningful dialogue and collaboration that redefine the future of living spaces.
Following its success in Singapore, TOTO Asia Oceania continued the dialogue in Indonesia the next day, where the Architect Talk Indonesia Edition welcomed local architects, developers, and design leaders to extend the conversation on The Tokyo Toilet