Now that's one big toilet.

HORNBERG, Germany (Dec 14 2004) - Proof that Germans really do have a sense of humor.

By Burt Stark
Curator
The Toilet Museum

Here's something you don't see everyday. That is, if you don't find yourself in Hornberg, Germany everyday. For those of you who do find yourself in Hornberg, you may have noticed a recent addition to the city landscape:

a very very large toilet.

The two people proudly waving from atop the giant toilet are two employees of Duravit, a company that produces a large line of modern and ascetically-pleasing bathroom fixtures.

And when I say "large," I mean extensive, not oversized.

The giant bowl you see above is an exception. Fortunately for the two employees standing in it, it is not functional. It is merely a part of the exterior of Duravit's design center.

The toilet is the creation of Philippe Starck. If his last name wasn't spelled differently from mine, I'd swear that he was a long-lost relation.

Philippe Starck is one of many designers who are responsible for the unique bathrooms that carry the 'Duravit' name. When he isn't designing bathroom fixtures, Mr. Starck brings elegance and beauty to many fields of design, including lamps, furniture, interiors, vehicles, and tableware. His work is on display in major museums all over the world.