Princess Diana Memorial Playground Lavatories in London by Jestico + Whiles

The incorporation of a toilet into the memorial for a beloved public figure is a delicate matter, and one that fully justifies a revival of the otherwise tediously prudish British tradition of the subterranean lav. Here, however, the monument takes the form of a children’s playground inspired by Peter Pan, incorporating wigwams and a pirate ship, and the toilets are accordingly anything but po-faced. Rising from the landscaping (designed by Land Use Consultants), a grassy mound covers the domed concrete structure, which is entered via a curved, white-rendered wall. Tubular forms emerge from the apex of the hillock, bringing daylight into the highly coloured spaces below, while protecting the privacy of its users. The whole has the air of a neolithic burial chamber converted into a public convenience, or alternatively, somewhere the Tellytubbies might go to relieve themselves.