Most people have wondered about it. You step into a public restroom—at a restaurant, a mall, a rest stop, a gas station—and you notice it again: the door of the stall doesn’t reach the floor. It doesn’t even come close. There’s a gap big enough to see feet, dropped items, sometimes even too much depending on angles and lighting. And it’s been this way for as long as many of us can remember.

Some assume it’s laziness on the part of architects. Others think it’s to make buildings cheaper. Some joke it’s just to make us uncomfortable. But the truth is far more complex—and surprisingly practical.

The open-bottom door design wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate solution to multiple real problems that public spaces face daily. And once you understand all the reasons behind it, the choice—while still a little awkward—makes much more sense.

This is the full story behind the bathroom-door mystery: why it started, why it continues, what benefits it offers, and how public expectations shaped the architecture of one of the most private spaces in modern life.

PART ONE: A Problem Older Than Modern Indoor Plumbing

Long before flush toilets were standard, public facilities had to manage:

hygiene

crowd control

maintenance

airflow

safety

These weren’t small concerns. In the 1800s and early 1900s, many public restroom designs relied on openness to prevent disease from spreading. Indoor plumbing improved conditions dramatically, but sanitation challenges never disappeared entirely. The idea that “more airflow means less odor and fewer germs lingering” became an early design guideline—and that guideline influenced the modern public stall.

Open-bottom doors were not originally for convenience or cost. They were for health.

Even today, better ventilation is one of the major reasons public restrooms still use this style. A fully enclosed stall traps moisture and odors, requires more energy for ventilation, and slows air circulation. The open design is simply more practical for high-traffic, shared spaces.

PART TWO: Emergencies and Safety—The Hidden Priority

Many people don’t realize how often emergencies occur inside public restrooms:

fainting

diabetic episodes

heart conditions

panic attacks

falls

intoxication incidents

Emergency responders and maintenance staff have documented thousands of cases where an enclosed stall would have prolonged danger or prevented rescue. The open bottom serves several critical safety purposes:

1. Quick visual check

A worker can instantly see:

if someone has collapsed

if the stall is empty

if someone is unresponsive

This is crucial during health emergencies.

2. Easier forced entry

If someone locks themselves in—intentionally or accidentally—the gap allows staff to:

crawl under

unlock the door

remove a child

assist someone injured

Without breaking the door.

3. Faster evacuation

During fires or building emergencies, every second counts. Fully enclosed stalls slow down evacuation and make it harder to confirm whether someone is trapped.

Public restroom design prioritizes safety over complete privacy. While that may feel uncomfortable, it has saved countless lives.

PART THREE: Preventing Vandalism, Crime, and Misuse

It’s an uncomfortable topic, but it’s part of the reason these doors remain the standard.

Public bathrooms—especially in high-traffic areas—have historically been sites of:

vandalism

drug use

smoking

graffiti

improper behavior

long-term loitering

Open-bottom stalls:

reduce opportunities for hidden misconduct

increase visibility for staff

discourage staying inside too long

make maintenance easier

It’s not about surveillance—it’s about minimizing problems that cost businesses and cities millions each year.

A fully enclosed private room in a public space opens the door (literally and figuratively) to activities that compromise safety. The stall design is a compromise that balances privacy with protection.

PART FOUR: Cleaning Efficiency—The Benefit Everyone Overlooks

If you’ve ever had to clean a bathroom—or watched someone do it—you understand how challenging it can be. Open-base stalls changed cleaning processes dramatically:

Janitors can:

spray floors quickly

use pressure cleaners

push water, debris, and trash out from under doors

mop without needing to enter each stall

This reduces cleaning time by up to 40% in large facilities.

For businesses, that’s not just about speed—it’s about health codes and cost. Restrooms must be cleaned multiple times a day in airports, malls, and restaurants. Fully enclosed stalls would require entering each space individually, resulting in:

more time

more labor

higher costs

longer closures

The modern design keeps maintenance efficient, affordable, and hygienic.

PART FIVE: Lower Construction Costs—But Not in the Way People Assume

A common belief is:
“They do it to save money.”

That’s partly true—but not because of the doors themselves.

The real savings involve:

1. Fewer materials

Shorter doors require less:

metal

wood

laminate

hinges

hardware

2. Universal parts

Manufacturers can mass-produce doors in standard sizes. Custom full-length doors require precision installation and specialty hinges.

3. Faster installation

Time saved during construction results in lower labor costs.

4. Fewer repairs

Doors that don’t touch the floor:

don’t drag

don’t warp

don’t absorb water

don’t require adjustment

So yes—businesses save money, but not because they’re cutting corners. They are avoiding a long list of repair and maintenance challenges.

PART SIX: Traffic Flow—Keeping Restrooms Moving Efficiently

Public restrooms are designed for efficiency, not luxury. This includes how quickly people move:

The gaps help with:

seeing which stalls are available

reducing wait times

discouraging lingering

preventing confusion

In packed locations—airports, stadiums, concert venues—this matters.

Imagine a restroom where every stall looks identical from the outside with no indicators. The line would crawl every time someone waited unknowingly for an occupied stall.

The modern gap design allows people to visually confirm an opening instantly.

This is one of the most practical arguments for keeping stall doors the way they are.

PART SEVEN: Privacy—Not as Universal as We Think

Americans often find stall design strange, but worldwide cultures differ greatly in what “privacy” means.

In many countries:

restrooms have attendants

doors rarely touch the floor

washrooms are communal

privacy expectations vary

The U.S. design was meant to offer a balance between privacy and practicality.

You’re shielded from the waist up and the midsection down. Enough to maintain modesty. Not enough to completely isolate someone from sight or sound.

It’s not perfect—but it’s intentional.

PART EIGHT: Why We Notice It More as We Get Older

Interestingly, surveys show that older adults—especially those 60+—tend to:

notice bathroom gaps more

feel more vulnerable

prefer enclosed private spaces

This is because aging increases:

modesty concerns

mobility issues (falls)

risk awareness

sensory sensitivity

desire for comfort

Public restroom design hasn’t changed much since the 1960s, but user expectations have.

Some newer businesses now offer fully enclosed stalls, but the cost and maintenance remain too high for widespread adoption—especially in high-traffic facilities.

PART NINE: So Why Not Change the Design Now?

A fair question.

Modern architects often debate whether the U.S. should adopt the European full-stall model. But there are obstacles:

higher construction costs

slower cleaning

safety concerns

liability issues

maintenance difficulty

retrofitting challenges

vandalism risk

For a business owner balancing function and budget, the open-bottom design still wins.

PART TEN: Will We Ever See Fully Enclosed Stalls Become the Norm?

It’s possible—but unlikely on a large scale.

We are seeing enclosed stalls in:

upscale restaurants

high-end malls

airports with premium lounges

newly renovated hotels

This trend grows slowly, but cost remains a limiting factor. For now, the open-bottom stall is still the most practical choice for public buildings across America.

Conclusion: A Design We Barely Think About—Until We Do

Most of us never questioned bathroom stall design until one day curiosity struck. But behind the awkward gap at the bottom lies an entire system of practical reasoning:

airflow

cleaning

safety

emergency response

maintenance

cost efficiency

user flow

visibility

vandalism prevention

Is it perfect? No.
But is it purposeful? Absolutely.

Next time you step into a public restroom and notice that familiar gap, remember: it isn’t there because someone forgot to measure. It’s there because dozens of architects, business owners, health experts, and safety codes quietly agreed that this imperfect solution is still the best balance for crowded, shared spaces.

A reminder that sometimes, good design is not about what looks nicest—but what works longest, safest, and most reliably for the greatest number of people.