The Bathroom – From Hygiene to Wellness – The Cultural Evolution of an Intimate Space

In The Bathroom – From Hygiene to Wellness, curator, urban planner, and art historian Jolanthe Kugler traces the fascinating evolution of one of the home’s most private yet revealing spaces. Moving beyond function, the book explores how the bathroom has transformed from a purely hygienic necessity into a site of ritual, reflection, and well-being.

Through the lens of design history and social change, Kugler examines emblematic bathroom objects and the ways in which they mirror shifting cultural values — from cleanliness and privacy to self-care and luxury. What emerges is a compelling portrait of how design mediates our relationships with the body, technology, and intimacy.

Published as part of Raddar, a series by mudac – Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts (Lausanne), the book continues the institution’s exploration of design’s role in shaping contemporary life — scholarly yet poetic, critical yet sensuous.