A brand-new all-gender restroom has opened at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s D Concourse, offering travelers private and wheelchair accessible stalls.
The project is the latest piece of a $62 million overhaul of the restrooms on the B, C and D concourses that was more than a decade in the making, Beth Britz, senior manager of construction operations for the project, said in a news release.
The projects are part of a nearly $5 billion roster of remodel projects scheduled through 2027 across the airport’s C and S concourses, main terminal, check-in areas and baggage-handling areas, among other areas.
The decision to create an all-gender restroom offered opportunities not only to increase access for people with disabilities, but to add operational efficiency to the airport, said Heather Karch, architecture manager for aviation facility and infrastructure at the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport.
The project adds 10 fully enclosed individual stalls, as well as two wheelchair-accessible stalls and a large family restroom with a toddler seat and changing station.
“We’ve increased capacity,” Britz said. “We’ve allowed more opportunities. There’s a whole lot of issues even around disabilities and using restrooms, because a lot of people can’t tell — not everybody’s needs are obvious by just looking at them.”
Signage and wayfinding were an important part of the project, Karch said, to help airport visitors understand what to expect when using the restroom and where to find gender-specific restrooms nearby, if needed.
Future restroom upgrades will come to the B, C and D concourses in the form of new nursing suites and family restrooms with adult changing tables. The airport will also add relief stations for service animals and water bottle refill stations.
The project has set a new standard for the airport’s restrooms going forward, airport officials said, including the large mirrors, open sinks, lighting and artwork installed along the outside.
Additional all-gender restrooms are planned as part of the $415 million project that will nearly triple the size of the C Concourse, which recently got underway, and the $1.5 billion overhaul of the S Concourse.
Both projects are in the early design stages, with construction on the C Concourse expected to conclude in 2027 and the renewed S Concourse expected to be fully online by the end of 2031.
Other projects aimed at inclusivity have included a sensory room with lower sound and lighting, and an interfaith prayer and meditation area.