Hugh Broughton reshapes public toilets in Westminster stations

Westminster City Council has reopened newly refurbished public toilets at both Piccadilly Circus and Green Park Underground Stations, designed by Hugh Broughton Architects, representing two of central London’s most iconic locations, separated by just one stop on the Piccadilly line. The twin openings mark a significant moment in the council’s ambitious program to upgrade eight public toilets across Westminster. Combined, these stations sit at the gateway to some of London’s most celebrated destinations, including Soho, Regent Street, the theaters of the West End, Mayfair, St James’s, the grand hotel and restaurant culture of the area (including Fortnum & Mason), The Ritz, and The Wolseley, as well as the park itself.

Millions of residents, workers, and visitors pass through both stations every year, which makes the quality of public infrastructure so important. These two openings bring the total number of completed schemes in Westminster’s program to four, following the award-winning refurbishments at Victoria Embankment and Parliament Street. Across all four completed sites, the design approach is immediately recognisable. The characteristic ‘Westminster Blue’ tiles have a high-quality finish and appear throughout the wider project, complemented by the gold-colored cubicles that have become a signature of the series.

Each scheme is an early adopter of Part T of the Building Regulations, incorporating minimum cubicle sizes substantially larger than previous requirements, ambulant cubicles and enlarged cubicles with baby-changing facilities, as well as dropped-level sinks for younger users. Layouts are carefully planned to maintain clear sightlines throughout, eliminating dark corners and improving the inherent safety of each space. These details reflect a sustained and thoughtful conversation about what genuinely inclusive and safe public infrastructure should look like.

Westminster toilets – Piccadilly | all images by Dirk Lindner

Pixel motifs and pink columns redefine the underground spaces

The Piccadilly Circus scheme presented particular spatial challenges. The station’s radial geometry and dense arrangement of structural steel columns, which support the streets and buildings above, required the architects to develop carefully planned interior geometries that regularize a complex footprint for ease of use. The original Charles Holden design had men’s and women’s facilities on opposite sides of the ticket hall, so the redesigned space brings them together in a more inclusive and welcoming configuration. The exposed structural columns are finished in a vibrant pink, echoing the color scheme of James Lambert’s artwork and embedding the design within the character of Piccadilly.

Lambert’s artwork celebrates the energy, spectacle, and connection that have always defined Piccadilly Circus. The central figure above the junction, often misidentified as Eros, is in fact his brother Anteros, the god of requited love, whose arrow becomes the site’s central motif. Swirling energy lines reference the nearby art deco architecture and suggest rhythm, performance, and joy. Motifs drawn from theaters, music halls, and cinemas recall the area’s history as London’s premier entertainment district, while dot-matrix patterns and pixel forms nod to the illuminated billboards that have defined Piccadilly’s skyline for over a century.

‘Westminster Blue’ tiles establish a unified visual identity | Westminster toilets – Piccadilly

Graphic motifs and inclusive planning reform the public facilities

At Green Park, the original facilities were weighted heavily toward male provision. The redesign has rethought the entrances and redressed the gender balance, making the scheme more equitable and welcoming from the outset. A wheelchair-accessible toilet has been incorporated to future-proof the facilities for the time when the station itself becomes fully accessible. Lambert’s artwork at Green Park draws on the layered character of one of London’s most distinguished neighborhoods. Lions mounted on toy cars reference the sculptures atop the Canada Gates, while fork motifs pay tribute to the great afternoon tea establishments of the area. Yellow links reference the high-end jewelry trade of the surrounding streets, and there is a central building symbol that recalls a folly originally constructed in the park. Doormen holding umbrellas evoke the grand hotels nearby, and the stars scattered across the design are daffodils that reference the flowers that carpet Green Park each spring.

Integrating this richly layered artwork into the architecture of the space has been one of the most demanding and rewarding aspects of the project. Westminster City Council appointed FM Conway, its delivery partner, to carry out the works. FM Conway appointed Hugh Broughton Architects to lead on the design of each site, along with a team of specialist engineers from Harley Haddow. The Contemporary Art Society *Consultancy is managing the artistic partnership, while M&M Moran is acting as construction partner on each site. Artist James Lambert has developed the illustrations that adorn the specially-made ‘Westminster Blue’ tiles, manufactured by H&E Smith and screen-printed by Digital Ceramics.

layouts are designed with clear sightlines and open circulation | Westminster toilets – Piccadilly

the redesign by Hugh Broughton improves accessibility and inclusivity | Westminster toilets – Piccadilly

dropped-level sinks accommodate younger users | Westminster toilets – Piccadilly

the project forms part of Westminster City Council’s wider infrastructure upgrade program | Westminster toilets – Piccadilly outside

illustrated tiles integrate art within the architectural surfaces | Westminster toilets – Green Park

daffodil graphics recall the seasonal landscape of Green Park | Westminster toilets – Green Park

lions, umbrellas, and jewelry motifs reference the surrounding context | Westminster toilets – Green Park

gold-colored cubicles continue the material language across the series | Westminster toilets – Green Park

Green Park’s redesign rebalances the original spatial arrangement | Westminster toilets – Green Park

architecture, infrastructure, and public art operate as a unified system | Westminster toilets – Green Park outside

project info:

name: Piccadilly and Green Park Toilets
architect: Hugh Broughton Architects | @hba_london

artist: James Lambert | @_james_lambert_

client: Westminster City Council | @citywestminster

location: London, UK

photographer: Dirk Lindner | @dirklindnerphotography

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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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