MADRID OLD PUBLIC TOILETS

Until recently, in Plaza de Tribunal (Tribunal square) we could see the entrance to an old public toilets, very common in the early twentieth century.

These public toilets consisted in an entry of a wrought-iron railings and a original public lamp.

It was located near the gate (recent work) that separated the Fama fountain (by Pedro de Ribera) from the pavement of the square.

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The sidewalk was big enough,  in fact it was used as a regular meeting place.

It was a little reminder of other times, in which the design and implementation of street furniture were carefully treated.

Why this happens? Instead of this public toilets now there is nothing, a few tiles that neither widen the sidewalk. Another example of  how functionality is misunderstood and how in the city the past is easily forgotten and destroyed, making cities poorer.

Although less charming, there are still a few of these public toilets. In the Parque del Retiro (Retiro park) we still can admire one of this toilets (still running ) and in the Plaza de la Cebada (Cebada square) of which we will write more about it in future posts.

In the case of Plaza de Tribunal (Tribunal Square), we just only have a memory and some old pictures.