Monday, May 12, 2025

Restooms of Merit - Bellefontaine Cemetery

 Back in the heyday of CC&G, one of my favorite things was the annual Cintas America's Best Restroom contest, which is still going strong in 2025! Notable winners back then were the Shoji Tabuchi (RIP) Theater in Branson, MO, and The Fountain on Locust in St Louis, MO. When you travel a lot, have a young child, are sensitive to smells, and are in your 40s, you truly appreciate a quality restroom. 

A bright, airy waiting room lounge features two blue sofas, various artworks and plants, and a display cabinet to the right. Sunlight streams through many-paned windows illuminating a polished terrazzo floor. The room is decorated with eclectic artwork.

Yesterday at Bellefontaine, I was inspired to create this new series the moment I stepped into the gatehouse restroom. How magnificent is this building? What a serene space! And the serenity continues into the ladies room.

A room features a group of two windows and a group of three windows with diamond-patterned glass. The group of 3 windows showcases 3 potted orchid plants with vibrant pink blossoms. The windows have dark wood frames, and the light from outside illuminates the green leaves and colorful flowers. The walls are painted a neutral gray. A dark wood bathroom stall is visible on the left. A circular light fixture is mounted on the white ceiling. The terazzo floor is a speckled neutral tone.

Interior shot of a restroom with two white pedestal sinks, each with oval-shaped mirrors edged in dark metal and lit by sconce lights. Dark wood partition walls create stalls in the background. The floor is speckled tan and there is a circular light fixture on the ceiling.

This should be the BARE MINIMUM standard for restroom stalls in the United States. Did you know the European standard is floor to ceiling stalls with no gaps? Americans will come up with all kinds of reasons this is "not practical" and then have a fit about who's in which bathroom bc there's no privacy in the average restroom. Of course you're going to be worried about "pervs" when the is a gap in every restroom stall. Call this out for what it is: cheap and lazy. The "vacant/occupied" style lock solves so many problems. (Note: transphobic comments will bring down the banhammer.)

A brightly lit, accessible and inclusive public restroom with two white porcelain sinks, a toilet with grab bars, a urinal, and a baby changing station mounted on the gray wall. Diamond-patterned windows opposite the sinks have potted plants on their ledges. Modern bronze fixtures accent white elements.

And on the other side of the building, behold! A true family/unisex bathroom with everything you need, including changing table, all in one room with a door that locks. Again, eliminating all sorts of arguments.

Bravo, Bellefontaine Cemetery. Clean, comfortable, inclusive, impeccable design, and with thoughtful touches like the orchids.

On this visit, we also got to see the first mausoleum at the cemetery in 70 years, which has a mystery owner! More on that soon!

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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 12, 2025 at 1:26 PM

    This is where I want to be taken when my days are over. They provide green burials. My kids will thank me regarding the rest rooms.

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    1. BethMay 12, 2025 at 5:22 PM

      They do! They're also an arboretu! I will have a lot more to post about Bellefontaine in the coming weeks.

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