urinal
A urinal (, ) is a sanitary plumbing fixture similar to a toilet, but for urination only. Urinals are often provided in men's public restrooms in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. ...
in
Oslo
Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
, built in 1937. It is located in Stensparken park in the neighborhood of
Fagerborg
Fagerborg is a neighbourhood in the St. Hanshaugen borough in Oslo, Norway. Located at the northwestern end of the borough, it is bounded by Majorstua in Frogner in the west, by Marienlyst in the north, by Adamstuen and Bolteløkka in the eas ...
homosexual men
Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual men, bisexual and homoromantic men may dually identify as ''gay'' and a number of gay men also identify as ''queer''. Historic terminology for gay men has included ''Sexual inversion (sexology), in ...
, in a time when homosexuality was both
socially unacceptable
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives fro ...
and illegal in Norway. Its reputation as a place for gay cruising, combined with its round shape, gave it its nickname. Other nicknames included "The Wheel of Fortune", "The Round Barrel," "The Mushroom" and "The Umbrella". In 2009, it was declared a Cultural Heritage Site for its place in Norwegian sanitary history.
Construction
The urinal was designed by municipal architect Harald Aars (1875–1945), and was finished in 1937. There were three main considerations behind the building's design: it was supposed to give shelter for the rain, its open form should ensure ventilation and prevent bad odors, and users should be shielded from public view. In addition to this, it should also fit aesthetically into the environment of the surrounding park. The round shape of the building is typical of
functionalist architecture
In architecture, functionalism is the principle that buildings should be designed based solely on their purpose and function. An international functionalist architecture movement emerged in the wake of World War I, as part of the wave of Modernis ...
.
Meeting place of homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
has traditionally been a taboo subject in Norway, and sex between men was illegal until 1972. For this reason, homosexual men had to find ways to convene, either privately, or secretly at specific public places. Several public urinals became meeting places for gay men, and these places were given humorous nicknames, such as "''Bel Amis''" at
Sagene
Sagene is a List of boroughs of Oslo, borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. The area became part of the city of Oslo (then Oslo, Christiania) in 1859. The name Sagene itself is the plural of the Norwegian language, Norwegian word for "saw", reflec ...
, and "The Wailing Wall" by the
municipal library
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the gov ...
. Of all these places, ''Kjærlighetskarusellen'' in Stensparken is the only one still extant today.
Cultural Heritage Site
The year 2009 was declared Norwegian Year of Cultural Heritage, aimed at highlighting the diversity and importance of Norway's cultural heritage for all sectors of the community. In connection with this, ''Kjærlighetskarusellen'' was declared a Norwegian Cultural Heritage Site. The
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Directorate for Cultural Heritage ( or ''Direktoratet for kulturminneforvaltning'') is a etat, government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it mana ...
started the process towards protecting the building in mid-October 2008. Leif Pareli, curator at the
Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History), at Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway, is a museum of cultural history with extensive collections of artifacts from all social groups and all regions of the country. It also incorporates a large open ...
, commended the decision, and commented both on the "simple and good functional shape" of the building, and on its status as "a well-known meeting place for gays and...therefore a trace of old gay history."
On 30 April 2009, a special ceremony was held for the declaration of the urinal as a protected building. Present at the ceremony were city conservation officer Marte Boro,
Minister of the Environment
An environment minister (sometimes minister of the environment or secretary of the environment) is a cabinet position charged with protecting the natural environment and promoting wildlife conservation. The areas associated with the duties of a ...
Erik Solheim
Erik Solheim (born 18 January 1955) is a Norwegian diplomat and former politician. He served in the Norwegian government from 2005 to 2012 as Minister of International Development and Minister of the Environment, and as Under-Secretary-General ...
and
Mayor of Oslo
The Mayor of Oslo (Bokmål: ''Oslos ordfører''; Nynorsk: ''Oslos ordførar'') is the chief executive of Oslo. The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within O ...
Fabian Stang
Richard Fabian Stang (born 19 August 1955) is a Norwegian lawyer and a politician for the Conservative Party.
Nils Marstein
Nils Marstein (born 4 February 1950) is a Norwegian civil servant.
He was educated as an architect at the Norwegian Institute of Technology from 1969 to 1974, and was hired at the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Directorate for ...
, Norwegian Director for Cultural Heritage, said in a speech that "the purpose of the protection of the urinal in Stensparken is to preserve an important example in sanitary history of how the city arranged for trivial needs."