LONDON – UK
Model: S4TECH H + Changing Place
Technology: S4
Date: December 2025
Client: Islington Council
Description:
In the London borough of Islington, a plan for the renovation of its public toilets ‒ launched by Isligton Council ‒ was finally completed. The program, in fact, came to an end with the replacement of the last SANO2.Ltd public toilets in four strategic areas of the territory: Highbury Crescent, Seven Sisters, Holloway Road and Islington Green.
Islington Green itself hosts the most innovative intervention of the entire project: the installation, together with a new self-cleaning toilet, of a Changing Place. Supplied by Smartpod ‒ a leader provider of such solutions in the Uk ‒ it is a highly equipped environment, specifically designed for people with complex motor disabilities. This installation made it possible to combine specialised structures and state-of-the-art technology for hygienic purposes, resulting in a new horizon in the landscape of urban inclusivity.
The Changing Place represents a qualitative leap in the field of public spaces dedicated to the care of people with reduced mobility. Unlike traditional accessible public toilets, which offer basic dimensions and equipment for wheelchair users, a Changing Place comfortably accommodates both the person and any caregiver and it features specific space and equipments that allow for safe and dignified lifting, movement and changing.
In fact, it offers:
- a ceiling-mounted electric hoist that enables safe transfers from the toilet seat to the changing bench or to a wheelchair,
- a changing table with adjustable height, designed to support even adult users,
- a manoeuvreing space with no obstacles,
- complete sanitary equipment, designed to ensure comfort, hygiene and ease-of-use in a public setting.
At the Islington Green Changing Place, access is through a 120×205 cm stainless steel sliding door operated with a radar key, the national access standard in the Uk. The SANO2.Ltd self cleaning public toilet adjoining the Changing Place has been developed differently from conventional outdoor modular units: the Vibrated Reinforced Concrete structure was in fact built and fitted with its sanitary fixtures directly on site, adopting an indoor model S4TECH H.
Access to the facility is provided through a two-panel sliding door and is designed to facilitate every type of use: multi-coin machine, RADAR key, free-access button, stainless-steel collection box, and the option of digital payment via contactless cards and app.
The interior features stainless steel furnishings and fixtures to grant hygiene, stability and easy maintenance. The heating system “Riscaldamento Pro” ensures optimal toilet use in every season by providing threshold heating, a dedicated convector heater, freeze protection for the water system and complete sealing of doors and technical panels. The user experience is also enhanced by a sound system with voice messages, genderless backlit pictograms and stickers with Braille instructions. The fixtures are completed by an automated electric boiler, the integrated, vandal-proof shower, the hygienic pad container and the additional no touch Eco Flush button for WC flushing.
The S4 self-cleaning technology guarantees a toilet fully sanitised at every access and the SANOSAFE® system offers a Covid-free environment thanks to the nocturnal, ozone-based air disinfection system. Managing this automated public toilet couldn’t be simpler: 4G connectivity, granted by the UBIQUITY® platform, allows for remote monitoring from a desktop or Smartphone via the internal 7” display, offering fully digitalised control.
The installation at Islington Green contributes to an urban regeneration truly focused on the needs of the entire community. The Changing Place is not just an additional space, but a true civic facility that expands freedom and reinforces the dignity of those who too often experience limitations in their daily life.
