Finally, two years after the onset of the pandemic, shopping malls will once again be able to welcome shoppers without major restrictions, but will people feel safe again in using the bathroom in such a busy place?
It is, in fact, important that the construction or renovation projects for the bathrooms in shopping centers take into consideration the new needs of users of the post-covid era.
1) Hygiene for commercial restrooms:
Unsurprisingly, hygiene has become a top priority everywhere, and especially in public restrooms: from schools, offices and airports, restroom managers and users know that contact between the user and surfaces must be minimized to ensure the best possible hygiene. This idea is of course to be considered essential also in the bathrooms of shopping centers, which can be stormed in a single Sunday by thousands of people: how to allow them not to touch anything with their hands inside the bathroom?
Giving users a touch-free experience, that is, installing taps, soap dispensers and towels with infrared sensors that are activated by detecting the presence of the hand, but without having to come into contact with the product.
Idral responds to this need for hygiene in the bathrooms of shopping centers with a wide range of touch-free products. We also offer several electronic washbasins, that include taps, a soap dispensers and air-dryers, all using the infrared technology. These multifunctional electronic washbasins can be customized in shape and size according to the characteristics of the project.
2) Safety in commercial bathrooms:
Even if in the short term we will no longer have the obligation to maintain interpersonal distance in public places, what is certain is that we will no longer be as comfortable in a crowded environment as before the pandemic.
It is therefore important that architects and designers who design the bathrooms in shopping centers make sure that the user feels safe. Here are some tips:
– Install partitions between urinals and between wash basins
– Design the environment so that users follow a one-way direction flow, which guides them from the toilet, to the sink and finally to the air-dryer, without ever turning around; put a separate entrance and exit door.
– Provide a wide space outside the bathrooms to avoid crowds in the restroom area and, if possible, indicate the number of free toilets in a clear and visible way already outside the bathroom.
3) Natural environment
Due to the pandemic, which forced us to stay indoors for a long time, the need to get in touch with nature and be outdoors is growing.
This need can easily be translated into the design of the bathrooms in shopping centers, designing environments that recall natural landscapes, favoring soft shapes and colors inspired by nature, and including plants and elements such as wood and stone. In this way, the user will feel welcomed by a pleasant and relaxing environment, and this will contribute to customer loyalty in the shopping center.
Get a quick glimpse of some shopping mall projects we’ve completed around the world:
Do you want ideas for making your next project more secure, more accessible, and more efficient? Contact us!
Francesca Piola
Export Coordinator
