GALLERY TOTO: state-of-the-art toilets at Narita Int’l Airport
Video by Daisuke Ohki
Art direction: Yasuyuki Tamenaga (black*bath)
A trip to the restroom just got more interesting at Narita International Airport in Japan, where you can now experience GALLERY TOTO, a public restroom that also functions as a showroom for the Japanese toilet brand TOTO.Â
Designed by Klein Dytham Architects, the seemingly translucent LED screens play prerecorded sequences featuring activities such as dancing, skating, or cleaning. While it would appear that restroom-goers have no privacy, the screens keep 10 individual bathroom cubicals completely hidden from the bustling airport terminal beyond. The LED panels were made using Philips luminous textile with Kvadrat Soft Cells, making this one of the most interesting applications we’ve seen to date.
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As you know from our recent article about the OneSpace Luminous Ceiling, we’re all about giant things that light up. And if there’s one thing we have learned in our search for all things luminous, it’s this: literally anything can be turned into a light.
With that in mind, here are our top things that have become luminous with the help of textiles, and what we might actually be able to use them for…
Immersive cinema
Did you know that LED lighting is now becoming a big part of the cinema-going experience?
No, not the screens. The walls. And ceiling.
Philips LightVibes is designed to integrate with the walls (left, right and back) and ceiling of the screening rooms in your local cinema, providing immersive light throughout the experience.
One of the things we’re doing more and more in cinemas is attending live-streamed experiences, for example theatre shows or music concerts. LightVibes uses specially-designed atmospheric light, projected throughout flat-screen wall surfaces and LED bars that seamlessly integrate into the building design.
So you can feel more like you’re at the event you’re watching, instead of just watching on a larger screen.
LightVibes is also great at making the experience of sitting through the ads more bearable. We know – it’s never that fun. But wouldn’t a trailer that seems to fill the whole room, and draws you into the action, be great to watch?
 Actual magic carpets
Why would you want a carpet to light up? Our answer to that is: ‘why wouldn’t you?’
The great thing about incorporating lighting into carpets is the variety of potential uses it offers us. The carpet could maybe point you in the direction of the nearest fire exit, or the nearest bathroom, without needing additional signage.
Or it could take advantage of our tendency to be guided by the floor in public spaces, displaying signposts to a stand in a convention center. Alternatively, it could also display videos, logos, infographics or even special announcements.
 Best. Wallpaper. Ever.
More than the LightVibes product mentioned above, walls that light up are becoming the trendy thing to have.
It’s now possible for entire office walls to be illuminated, showing light animations or interactive, real-time messaging – for example, Twitter walls.
Meanwhile, in the home, you can now add a little bit of extra bling to your walls by getting LED wallpaper.
 Enlightening yoga
Of course, yoga should always be an enlightening experience. But now even your mat can get in on the action.
You can now own an exercise mat that incorporates an LED lighting system, showing you the right places to stand or put your hands for maximum effectiveness.
Even better, the mat interacts with an app for your smartphone, so you can see what you should look like when you follow the mat’s instructions.
On second thought, maybe that’s not such a good thing if your current level of yoga is slightly more  downward dog than salamba sirsasana headstand… but we all need something to aspire to, right?
What things could you imagine using a luminous surface for?
Check out more Future of Light articles about Smart Textiles
