Airport lavs claim throne
The last time bathrooms at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport made headlines, the story was about a senator and a sex sting. Now there’s far more positive news about MSP’s loos.
The first batch of updated restrooms at MSP airport are the 2016 winners in the 15th annual America’s Best Restroom Contest. Hosted by Cintas, a Cincinnati-based company that supplies public restrooms, this year’s contest asked the public to vote on 10 finalists, pitting MSP’s lavs against the likes of a Doctor Who
themed Tardis bathroom at a bar in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a bookstore in St. Louis where the bathrooms are papered in classic books.
The restrooms MSP entered in the contest are part of a terminal-wide restroom renovation plan that started in 2009 and will continue through 2025 and encompass more than 100 sets of public restrooms airport-wide.
“The restroom is often the first place visited on arrival and the last stop for departing passengers, leaving a lingering impression of their destination,” says Alan Howell, senior airport architect with the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
Features include stalls that have out-swinging doors and niches for rolling luggage, diaperchanging stations with sinks and towel dispensers, and shallow trough sinks that minimize splashing. Mosaic art with a Minnesota theme marks the entrance to each restroom, created by different regional artists.
“The art in MSP’s restrooms caught our attention when we were choosing finalists,” says Jillian Bauer, assistant marketing manager for Cintas.