Female urinal Lapee set to make a splash at Australian Open
It’s pink, it’s proud and it’s here — the female urinal. The Lapee is hailed as the killer of extra-long queues for women’s toilets at sporting events and festivals and tennis lovers can trial it at the Australian Open. Here’s what to expect.
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Long queues for the ladies’ bathroom could be a thing of the past with a female urinal set to make its first appearance down under at this year’s Australian Open.
The pink spiral could be set to end gender-inequality at major events, including music festivals, where females are often faced with a choice between being stuck in line for the bathroom or using a more informal setting to relieve themselves.
The concept, designed by Gina Périer and Alexander Egebjerg, takes the idea of the portable male urinal unit and adapts it for women by extending the wall around in a spiral shape to screen the user off.
Périer, a French architect living in Copenhagen, said women were often discriminated against at major festivals due to the lack of facilities.
“Women simply do not have the same ability to enjoy an event as men do,” she said.
“Urinals for men are spread all around events — it is never a problem for them.
“Women have to queue all the time for too long, missing the concerts … (and) as architects we wanted to find a proper, industrialised and iconic solution.”
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With three women able to visit at a time and no door, the designers say it takes just 30 seconds to spend a penny, compared to three minutes for a standard cabin toilet.
Lapee proved popular at festivals and outdoor events across Europe last year and has now made its way to Australia, debuting at this month’s Australian Open and Rainbow Serpent Festival.
The portable female urinal is made from recyclable materials and uses no water. It is also stackable, making it easier to transport which reduces carbon emissions.
Australian partner Andy Tannahill, from Composting Toilet Systems, plans to use the collected waste as fertiliser.