Zurich citizens can now relieve themselves at a pink marble public pissoir, installed at an open-air car park by local architecture firm Bureau A (+ slideshow).
Composed of pink Portuguese marble imported from Lisbon, the Fountain 2017 piece is one of three installations curated by Silvia Converso, Michele D'Ariano Simionato and Caterina Steiner as part of the Common Ground art project.
"In the form of a noble fountain, a classical figure of occidental culture, Lisbon sends a solid salute to rich Zurich," said a statement from Bureau A, which recently installed a miniature cardboard city at a Geneva childrenswear store.
Occupying several parking spaces of Zurich's Pfingstweid car park, the urinal is composed of four large marble panels that rest on a wooden frame.
The liquid from emptied bladders is channelled along the base onto a pothole filled with gravel and small plants.
A neon light sticks out from the top right corner to serve as clear signage for night time visitors.
The car park itself is situated on the remains of an ancient common, and the urinal was prompted by discussions around the area's historic role as a shared space.
"Public space needs to stay public, open and support debate and creative proposals of any kind, whether they are social, political or cultural," said the studio.
"A contribution where people can meet, be revolted to whatever, play, drink, sleep, love. Anything should be possible within a public space."
The Common Ground installations are hosted as part of the car park's ongoing Art Container project, which launched in June 2015 to commission and promote contemporary art in an independent and non-commercial exhibition space.
Dutch designers Aandeboom recently proposed a rethink of the urinal with a tree-mounted design for Roskilde Festival, and Copenhagen studio UiWE suggested the Pollee urinal for women, which was also trialled at the event.
