Why would a space meant for privacy be designed to feel so exposed?

In this episode of Curious by Design, we explore the uncomfortable history behind American bathroom stalls, and why the gaps, open bottoms, and half-closed doors were never an accident.

The modern stall emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when rapidly growing cities were battling disease outbreaks like cholera and typhoid. Public bathrooms weren’t designed for comfort. They were built for sanitation, airflow, inspection, and control. Fully enclosed stalls trapped moisture, hid problems, and slowed maintenance. Open designs solved those issues, and privacy became negotiable.

As standardized partitions, building codes, and industrial manufacturing took over, that compromise hardened into infrastructure. What started as a public-health solution became the default, repeated across schools, airports, offices, and stadiums for decades.

This episode looks at how a century-old fear of disease, combined with efficiency and oversight, quietly shaped one of the most universally awkward design experiences we still live with, and why changing it has taken so long.

The next time you’re standing in a public restroom, staring at a door that almost closes, remember: you’re not seeing careless design. You’re seeing a historical tradeoff that worked… and never went away.

That’s Curious by Design.