Isabel Strauss Wins Competition for Gropius House Restroom
Isabel Strauss, an assistant professor of architecture at Smith College, has triumphed in a design competition for a public restroom adjacent to the Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts, a residence created by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius in 1938. Her proposal, named "One Bathroom After Another," will replace a current porta potty situated next to a Gropius-designed garage. The new facility will mirror the garage's proportions and utilize field stone to align with the house's foundation. Designed for privacy, the entrance will face the woods, and a skylight inspired by James Turrell will brighten the interior. Historic New England announced the competition last November, receiving over 280 entries from 40 nations, with a jury that included Antoine Picon and Philip Kennicott. Allen Kolkowitz, a Trustee of Historic New England, commended the initiative for uncovering fresh talent.
Key facts
- Isabel Strauss won a competition to design a public restroom outside the Gropius House.
- The Gropius House was completed in 1938 by Walter Gropius in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
- Strauss is assistant professor of architecture at Smith College.
- The project title is 'One Bathroom After Another.'
- The restroom will replace an existing porta potty next to a garage designed by Gropius.
- The new volume will be proportionally the same as the garage and built from field stone.
- The entry will face the forest, not the driveway.
- A skylight inspired by James Turrell will illuminate the interior.
- The competition was announced last November by Historic New England.
- The jury included Antoine Picon, Nader Tehrani, Philip Kennicott, Suzanne Stephens, and Tanja Hwang.
- Over 280 submissions were received from 40 countries.
- Strauss was shortlisted alongside AUYON BACHAR; Mohsen Laei, Nasim Shirkhani, and Masoumeh Niyazi; Monika Puchała and Tomasz Sachanowicz; and Payette.
- Allen Kolkowitz, a Trustee of Historic New England, commented on the competition.
Entities
Artists
- Isabel Strauss
- Walter Gropius
- Marcel Breuer
- Herzog & de Meuron
- James Turrell
- Antoine Picon
- Nader Tehrani
- Philip Kennicott
- Suzanne Stephens
- Tanja Hwang
- AUYON BACHAR
- Mohsen Laei
- Nasim Shirkhani
- Masoumeh Niyazi
- Monika Puchała
- Tomasz Sachanowicz
- Payette
- Allen Kolkowitz
- Vin Cipolla
Institutions
- Smith College
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- SOM
- Johnston Marklee
- MASS
- XL Scenic
- Historic New England
- GSD
- MoMA
- Harvard Graduate School of Design
- MASS Design Group
- Payette
- Auyon Bachar
- Dezeen
Locations
- Lincoln
- Massachusetts
- United States
- Northampton
- Cambridge
- Germany
- Poland
- Tehran
- Iran