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We often form our opinion of a city by judging the quality of its public spaces. If they give us a hard time, most likely we won't be too psyched about returning to it.

And unfortunately, there are plenty of ways urban planners and interior designers ruin our everyday life and force us into dreadful anxiety-inducing situations.

They make us sit on uncomfortable benches, walk around trippy floors, and go number two in bathroom stalls so revealing, others are able to see our facial expressions.

To show how ridiculous it can get, Bored Panda has put together some of the worst public space "solutions" ever created—we deserve better!

#1

The Chairs Waiting For You In The Laser Eye Clinic's Reception

The Chairs Waiting For You In The Laser Eye Clinic's Reception

SkiFreeSasquatch Report

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    #2

    "I'm Sure You're All Wondering Why I've Gathered You Here Today"

    "I'm Sure You're All Wondering Why I've Gathered You Here Today"

    Highly_paid_orgy_pro Report

    To learn more about the topic, I got in touch with interior architect and lecturer of interior design at Vilnius College of Design, Judita Striukienė.

    When we hear the term public space, we usually think of the outdoors. "Places like parks, gardens, and squares are often popular city attractions," Striukienė told Bored Panda. "They not only provide environmental and recreational benefits but also form a city's identity."

    #3

    No Words Needed Here

    No Words Needed Here

    skess345 Report

    #4

    As If Public Toilets Didn’t Give Me Enough Anxiety

    As If Public Toilets Didn’t Give Me Enough Anxiety

    Jonwyattearp Report

    However, public spaces can also be indoors. "These interiors can be both functional and aesthetic," Striukienė said.

    "Think of health service establishments, for example. A well-executed professional interior design can even have a positive effect on the patients. It can relieve their stress and put them in a calmer state of mind."

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    In fact, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, the co-founder of the architecture firm Snøhetta, argues that architects must begin considering indoor space just as public as outdoor space.

    "Maybe with the sole exception of railway stations, public space is generally understood as outdoor space," Thorsen wrote. "Whether in the United States or in Europe, especially now with heightened concerns around security, there seems to be this determined way of privatizing everything that is indoors, even as we are increasingly aiming to improve access to public space outdoors. But in the layered systems of our cities of the future, we will need to focus on the public spaces that are found inside buildings—and make them accessible."

    #5

    At First Glance, I Didn’t Recognize This Restaurant Mural As The Sun

    At First Glance, I Didn’t Recognize This Restaurant Mural As The Sun

    SunBlue Report

    To get his point across, Thorsen highlighted a map of Rome made in 1748 by Giambattista Nolli. It only had two distinctions—what was private and what was public. "Whether it was indoor or outdoor, whether there was a church space or a plaza, it didn't really matter. [The map] told a different story of the city."

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    "There are some examples from today—the roof of our Oslo Opera House is outdoors, for instance, but it's on the building and publicly accessible. Opening up the Louvre and trying to let people walk through it 24 hours a day—as with the museum's recent takeover by the artist JR—is another way of not making a distinction between indoor and outdoor public space."

    #6

    This Fountain That Looks Like A Perfect Place To Sit Down

    This Fountain That Looks Like A Perfect Place To Sit Down

    defntlynot_clp-e46 Report

    #7

    Gas Station In Nebraska. The Station's Color Scheme Was Red. They Tried To Get Artsy

    Gas Station In Nebraska. The Station's Color Scheme Was Red. They Tried To Get Artsy

    aspiecat7 Report

    #8

    No Broken Legs I Know Of

    No Broken Legs I Know Of

    slepsteRwasTaken Report

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    Thorsen thinks such decisions are essential to the way new architecture typologies develop, and architects should definitely have an influence on them.

    "In certain situations, accessibility to indoor public space is enough," he said. "In other situations, you have to define the program for the particular indoor or outdoor spaces to be adequate. To use the example of the roof of the Opera House in Oslo again, it was basically programmed only for one thing, and that's to be walked on, for a promenade. But on occasion, it could be reprogrammed to hold an outdoor concert. Or it could be reprogrammed against the original intention by skaters or by a biker who actually drives his motorbike up and down the roof."

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    #9

    Flat Carpet In A Hotel In Cologne, Germany Imitating A Curvy Surface

    Flat Carpet In A Hotel In Cologne, Germany Imitating A Curvy Surface

    Majoranese Report

    #10

    Fake Hope Escalator

    Fake Hope Escalator

    hayate_ichirou Report

    #11

    The Design Of My School - This Is The Place Where Every Hallway Intersects

    The Design Of My School - This Is The Place Where Every Hallway Intersects

    LuigiSaysKachow Report

    #12

    Two Windows Of My Workplace Are Constantly Fighting For The Honor Of Being The One Who Is Going To Be Opened

    Two Windows Of My Workplace Are Constantly Fighting For The Honor Of Being The One Who Is Going To Be Opened

    ILikeCheeseSandwich Report

    The city belongs to its citizens. No matter if we're talking about what's inside or outside. And, according to Thorsen, these two dimensions can even intertwine.

    "Maybe the outdoor can be programmed in such a way that it unlocks the possibility of the public spaces indoors. There's always a bit of urban planning in designing interiors. There's always a bit of interior design in an urban space. There's no question that interior architecture is professionalizing itself as well—interior architects are not seen as decorators of interior space anymore. The same is true of landscape architects. And those are only the traditional design professions," the architect said.

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    #13

    The Single Worst Clock I Have Ever Seen. I Actually Said Aloud "Whyyy"

    The Single Worst Clock I Have Ever Seen. I Actually Said Aloud "Whyyy"

    CupCakeTea Report

    #14

    They Built This School Like One Month Ago

    They Built This School Like One Month Ago

    WifideRouter Report

    #15

    Ballroom Where Everyone Downstairs Can See Up Your Skirt

    Ballroom Where Everyone Downstairs Can See Up Your Skirt

    crudolph0828 Report

    #16

    This Is Not Rust. “It’s The Design”

    This Is Not Rust. “It’s The Design”

    natsamario Report

    Of course, that doesn't mean that every architect needs to be trained in every specialized profession. What Thorsen meant was that the industry is lacking an overall understanding of how people should collaborate.

    "That's why we've introduced transposition as a working method in our office, where you not only sit around tables with a lot of specialists, but you actually swap professions during creative workshops," he said. "The only thing that can save the essence of architecture is some kind of collaborative model like this."

    #17

    I Love Eating At Restaurant Logo Here

    I Love Eating At Restaurant Logo Here

    vaguevisibility Report

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    #18

    This Fancy Staircase Leads Directly Into A Wall

    This Fancy Staircase Leads Directly Into A Wall

    TacticalToots Report

    #19

    This Chandelier At A Restaurant I Ate At Bothers Me So Much

    This Chandelier At A Restaurant I Ate At Bothers Me So Much

    fluffynuff Report

    #20

    This Picture In McDonald's Was Hung Sideways

    This Picture In McDonald's Was Hung Sideways

    haleydaydream Report

    By adopting this model both in education and practice, Thorsen believes we would be better equipped to fully understand the effects of programming.

    "We are usually generalists enough to understand that a change of use is sometimes demanded and that we shouldn't try to desperately hold on to certain kinds of programming. But the profession itself should, in my opinion, really contain that kind of knowledge, simply because it’s so tightly connected to the actual design task."

    As these pictures show, we need to improve the relationship between buildings and the public. And Thorsen thinks there's no way we can do that without getting directly involved in programming ourselves.

    #21

    Designed For Dissuading The Homeless. Literally Just Uncomfortable For Everyone Else

    Designed For Dissuading The Homeless. Literally Just Uncomfortable For Everyone Else

    Machdame Report

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    #22

    This Painting Inside A Local “Fancy” Restaurant

    This Painting Inside A Local “Fancy” Restaurant

    hotdogfinatic Report

    #23

    $1 Toothbrushes Locked Behind Glass At Walmart. Walked Around The Store For 15 Minutes Looking For Someone “Qualified” To Unlock The Glass Case

    $1 Toothbrushes Locked Behind Glass At Walmart. Walked Around The Store For 15 Minutes Looking For Someone “Qualified” To Unlock The Glass Case

    Then had to be escorted to the register with said $1 toothbrush. I could walk out of here with an air fryer easier than a toothbrush

    depressed- Report

    #24

    Some People Just Want To Watch The World Burn

    Some People Just Want To Watch The World Burn

    mr-otta Report

    #25

    This Restaurant In London (Waiters Love It)

    This Restaurant In London (Waiters Love It)

    September89 Report

    #26

    Toilet Door With Another Door In It That Won't Stay Closed

    Toilet Door With Another Door In It That Won't Stay Closed

    PaulFlynn_ Report

    #27

    You Gotta Pay Attention On These Stairs In A Cinema

    You Gotta Pay Attention On These Stairs In A Cinema

    DurkleR Report

    #28

    My Bed At A Hotel I'm Staying In

    My Bed At A Hotel I'm Staying In

    dosnos Report

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    #29

    Public Restrooms With Reflective Surfaces

    Public Restrooms With Reflective Surfaces

    Inazumaryoku Report

    #30

    This Is Russia

    This Is Russia

    reddit.com Report

    #31

    This Is The Logo For A "New York Style" Pizza Place In Ponce, Puerto Rico

    This Is The Logo For A "New York Style" Pizza Place In Ponce, Puerto Rico

    noel-13 Report

    #32

    I Don't Know Why Brown Strings Is A Welcoming Wallpaper To This Toilet Entrance. It Just Feels Gross And Unwelcoming. I Mean, This Is A Public Place

    I Don't Know Why Brown Strings Is A Welcoming Wallpaper To This Toilet Entrance. It Just Feels Gross And Unwelcoming. I Mean, This Is A Public Place

    Ashflied_Nullmatter Report

    #33

    These Restroom Stalls Have Translucent Doors

    These Restroom Stalls Have Translucent Doors

    hi_fbi Report

    #34

    This New Wall Art In My Office

    This New Wall Art In My Office

    Bitemarkz Report

    #35

    Upon Walking In This Bathroom At The Supermarket I Was Initially Disgusted At Filth And Lack Of Cleanliness Until A Closer Look Revealed It Was Designed This Way

    Upon Walking In This Bathroom At The Supermarket I Was Initially Disgusted At Filth And Lack Of Cleanliness Until A Closer Look Revealed It Was Designed This Way

    jeffy983 Report

    #36

    The Lobby Of This Medical Office Has An Alligator In The Floor

    The Lobby Of This Medical Office Has An Alligator In The Floor

    I_ATE_TODAY Report

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    #37

    Not Exactly The Color Pattern You Like To See In A Bathroom

    Not Exactly The Color Pattern You Like To See In A Bathroom

    bergerNfries Report

    #38

    Love To Shutterstock See This Kind Of Stuff

    Love To Shutterstock See This Kind Of Stuff

    mateussgarcia Report

    #39

    The Paint In This Public Restroom

    The Paint In This Public Restroom

    Xuhale Report

    #40

    Sometimes People Use The Left Part

    Sometimes People Use The Left Part

    Lord_neah Report

    #41

    The Decorations On This Hotel Restaurant

    The Decorations On This Hotel Restaurant

    Rawrnosaur Report

    #42

    This Poster In My School Cafeteria Is So Badly Designed They Put Arrows So You Can Read It Correctly

    This Poster In My School Cafeteria Is So Badly Designed They Put Arrows So You Can Read It Correctly

    abbyggggg Report

    #43

    I'm Sure This Mirror Sounded Cool In Theory

    I'm Sure This Mirror Sounded Cool In Theory

    The_Zamboni Report

    #44

    Not Sure If This Belongs Here But In My Opinion This Is The Real Problem With America. It's A Toilet Stall If You Were Wondering

    Not Sure If This Belongs Here But In My Opinion This Is The Real Problem With America. It's A Toilet Stall If You Were Wondering

    jade_phoenix7 Report

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    #45

    New Toilets At Work, Wonderful View On Our Interior Courtyard

    New Toilets At Work, Wonderful View On Our Interior Courtyard

    StrikingMasterpiece Report

    #46

    These Trash Cans At My School

    These Trash Cans At My School

    Helios330 Report

    #47

    A Poster At My Mom's Audiology Office

    A Poster At My Mom's Audiology Office

    coolrooman Report

    #48

    I Had To Stop While Ordering Food At A Local Restaurant Because I Saw This Poster

    I Had To Stop While Ordering Food At A Local Restaurant Because I Saw This Poster

    JellyBellyMau Report

    #49

    Went In To A Bathroom In Airport And Was Surprised With This. Almost Turned Towards Exit Before Realization

    Went In To A Bathroom In Airport And Was Surprised With This. Almost Turned Towards Exit Before Realization

    Bakica_original , nigla0905 Report

    Note: this post originally had 129 images. It’s been shortened to the top 49 images based on user votes.