National Arts Centre redesign to include more washrooms — for all genders

Ask any woman who has spent time at the National Arts Centre waiting in line, as the lights flash and a voice intones that intermission is ending, if  the building needs more washrooms.

The answer would be a resounding yes. But the NAC, notoriously well-known for its long toilet queues, sees its ongoing renovations as an opportunity to both fix that problem — and also add new gender-neutral facilities.

"What we are doing is tripling the number of men's washrooms and quadrupling the number of women's washrooms," NAC project director David McQuaig told CBC News. 

"That means over 80 stalls. 86 in number."

• National Arts Centre officially breaks ground for major renovations
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Most of the new washrooms will be right in front of Southam Hall, the NAC's largest performance venue, but there will also be more washrooms at each level so that people seated on the balcony and the mezzanine don't have to come down to use the facilities, said McQuaig.

Two separate "universal washrooms" will be located on the main floor, he said.

'A more effective use of space'

The redesign of the NAC's Fourth Stage, where more informal concerts are held, presented the opportunity for the new gender-neutral facility — a single washroom with seven stalls, including one that's accessible for people with disabilities, with a common area that includes sinks and mirrors. 

"It's a more effective use of space. If we were to have a dedicated men's and women's washrooms, there's more walls, there's more plumbing. It's harder to fit in the space, so [this is a] less expensive and more economical use of space." said McQuaig.

McQuaig said he thinks Fourth Stage patrons will take the changes in stride, as public opinion to sharing washroom space evolves.

"It's a bit different from Southam Hall and some of our other patrons," he said.