Gropius House selects winning design for Bauhaus-worthy public toilet

The Gropius House, located in Lincoln, Massachusetts, which was once the residence of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, has revealed the winner of its blind architecture competition for a new public restroom. Managed by Historic New England, the house museum has depended on a plastic portable toilet for its visitors. After an extensive six-month search involving international participants, Isabel Strauss, an assistant professor of architecture at Smith College, emerged victorious with her design featuring a minimal geometric form clad in fieldstone, complementing the nearby garage and facing the forest. The competition attracted 280 entries from 40 nations, with five finalists, including teams from Iran and Poland. Strauss will receive a $5,000 award, and her design will be showcased at the site. Historic New England will now undertake feasibility studies to implement the project.