Stories On Design // Swimming Pools.

Swimming Pools are like pom-poms. Everybody loves them. Ok, that may not be true (about pom-poms at least – that’s probably just me), although you have to admit that Swimmings Pools feel like opening a can of instant happiness. Yay!

For our last Story for the year (Whaaa? How did that happen?) we are bringing you our curation of sensational swimming pools from around the world, broken up into five categories – Rooftop, Hotel, Indoor, Outdoor and Concepts. As always, we’ve left no stone unturned, and hope this collection becomes a fantastic reference for your next multi-million dollar commission featuring a hero swimming pool. Or your next daydream. Whatever.

Now go and have yourself a great summer everyone. Hooray!

See More ‘Stories on Design’ Curated by Yellowtrace.

ROOFTOP POOLS.

Images courtesy of Hotel Hubertus.

New Outdoor Skypool at Hotel Hubertus in Valdaora, Italy // Architecture firm noa* (network of architecture) redesigned the Hotel Hubertus, located in the ski and hiking area of Valdaora, Italy. The redesign includes a swimming that sits 25-meters above ground.  The stunning infinity pool structure boasts a glass bottom through which the swimmers can see through to the ground. Wowzer!

Photography by Javier Callejas.

The House of the Infinite in Cádiz, Spain by Alberto Campo Baeza // The expansive roof of this seaside house in Cádiz, Spain, by Alberto Campo Baeza stretches out towards the shoreline like a flattened extension of the rugged terrain.

“We have erected a house as if it were a jetty facing out to sea,” said the architect. “On this resoundingly horizontal plane, bare and denuded, we face out to the distant horizon.” 

Kois Associated Architects.

Mirage House by Kois Associated Architects // The most extraordinary infinity pool forms the roof of cavernous house on the Greek Island of Tinos, designed by Athens studio Kois Associated Architects.

“The visual effect of the mirroring of the pool in combination with the concept of invisibility brought to mind the visual phenomenon of the mirage, from which the project was named,” said the project architect, Nikos Patsiaouras.

Renderings by Terpsichori Latsi (LOOM Design).

Casa Brutale by Open Platform for Architecture // Open Platform for Architecture (OPA) is moving forward with plans to build a subterranean residence that will slice into a mountain near Beirut and feature a glass swimming pool for a roof. OPA originally released plans for Casa Brutale in Beirut, Lebanon, in July 2015, with no site, client or budget to build it. But the viral success of the renderings has now brought forward a backer with a plot of land on Faqra mountain near Beirut and a budget of $2.5 million.

“Designed for the people that want to live, literally and figuratively, on the edge, Casa Brutale was deemed to be a house suitable for James Bond and received feedback both applauding the design and questioning the implementation of its construction.” – OPA.

Photography by Jan Bitter.

Jellyfish House in Marbella, Spain by Wiel Arets Architects // Named Jellyfish House, the three-storey concrete residence was designed by Wiel Arets Architects with a rooftop terrace and swimming pool to allow residents to swim and sunbathe with a view of the Mediterranean sea. The swimming pool projects out across a semi-enclosed terrace next to the house’s main ground-floor entrance, projecting ripples of light onto the ground below. The rear wall of the pool also features a large interior window, allowing residents in the first-floor kitchen to look out at friends and family taking a swim.

“The searing Spanish sun constantly filters through the pool’s glass wall and floor, creating ripples of iridescent turquoise reflections throughout the entire house,” explained the design team.

Photography © Frederik Vercruysse, courtesy of dmvA.

Swimming Pool K by dmvA Architecten in Grimbergen, Belgium // When a client of design studio dmvA architecten requested a swimming pool for his house in Grimbergen, Belgium, the designers didn’t miss the opportunity to create a panoramic pool terrace overlooking the 1660 basilica of Saint Servatius standing across the street.

Code-named ‘Swimming Pool K’, this striking feature has been placed atop an old school building, bought by the client as an expansion to his existing bachelor house. In order to support the heavy volume of the pool, a new reinforced concrete structure had to be constructed within the building. The structure was left exposed in order to function as a decorative element in the space right under the pool. In contrast, the pool terrace was given a more polished and minimal look, with white seamless surfaces and simple lines throughout – creating an arresting contrast with the towering basilica in the backdrop.

Photography by Wison Tungthunya.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P. // Aerial photographs reveal the angular geometries of this rooftop swimming pool in Bangkok by Thai landscape architects T.R.O.P. The swimming pool is positioned over the podium of a 42-storey residential complex close to the city’s main station.

“Most pools in Bangkok are called ‘Sky Pool’, because of a location on top of the roof,” said designer Pok Kobkongsanti. “The first couple of ones sounded very exciting, but, after a while, it got boring. To make our pool different than the others, the ‘Skeleton’, a light cladded structure, was proposed to frame the swimming pool three-dimensionally.”

Photography by Amit Geron.

Tel Aviv Penthouse by Pitsou Kedem // A rooftop swimming pool runs along the edge of this renovated penthouse in Tel Aviv by Israeli architect Pitsou Kedem, allowing residents to look down over the old town rooftops while enjoying a swim. As part of the brief, the architect created a balcony that spans the length of the penthouse, then added an infinity pool that appears to line up with the city skyline.

“The pool is completely covered with dark stone so that the city can be reflected in its entirety in the water,” said Kedem.

Photography by Joe Fletcher.

Oak Pass House by Walker Workshop // Joining a recently completed guest house on a site which contains over 100 oak trees, this dwelling by Walker Workshop provides luxury living accommodation across two storeys. Named Oak Pass House, the property was designed for a concert violinist who wanted a quiet place where he can host private classical-music performances.

Photography by Fernando Guerra | FG+SG.

Jungle House (Casa na Mata) by Studio mk27 // Casa na Mata (Jungle House) by Marcio Kogan’s Studio MK27, with Samanta Cafardo and Diana Radomysler, is located on the edge of the Brazilian rain forest, on a block of land surrounded by dense vegetation. The objective of the project was to optimise the connection between architecture and nature, maximising the privileged view across the ocean, while harnessing the spectacular sunlight within the internal spaces.

The three levels of the Jungle House create a clear division of spaces: the ground floor houses a large covered timber deck, connected to a small room for the children; on the first floor there are six bedrooms – five of them with small verandas with hammocks – and a TV room; the second floor is the social area of the house, including the swimming pool, the living room and the kitchen.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Daniela Mac Adden & Diego Medina.

L4 House on Costa Esmeralda, Argentina by Luciano Kruk // Designed by Luciano Kruk, L4 House on Argentina’s Costa Esmeralda is a spacious concrete residence, featuring a rooftop pool and contemporary, monolithic interiors.

“We aimed at developing most of the plan in a single level and at having a greater outdoor area in a higher level, where water should be present and where we could contemplate the striking natural environment,” explains Kruk.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Nelson Kon.

Casa Fim de Semana (Weekend House) in São Paulo, Brazil by spbr arquitetos // São paulo-based studio spbr arquitetos revisited the built hierarchy of garden, pool, and home with the Casa Fim de Semana. The garden and pool levels exist on the ground floor as that’s where these objects typically exist in the natural world. For the weekend house, this order was reorganised based upon the thought that water belongs just as much on the ground as it does in the sky.

HOTEL POOLS.

Photography © Joe Fletcher.

Amangiri Resort & Spa in the high desert Of Utah // When it comes to 20th century luxury travel, things don’t get more special than this – an oasis in the middle of the ancient splendour of the Utah desert, where nothing has been left to chance. Amangiri Resort and Spa is a remote hideaway tucked within the luminous canyons of the American Southwest, boasting spectacular premises designed by three well-known architects – Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette and Rick Joy. Located in a protected valley with sweeping views across spectacular desert rocks, the resort offers both adrenaline-fuelled adventure and a peaceful retreat.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography © Joe Fletcher.

Mar Adentro Hotel & Residences in Mexico by Miguel Angel Aragones // Mexico City-based architecture practice Taller Aragone, led by Miguel Angel Aragones, has designed a sublime 205-room hotel set on the edge of the Sea of Cortez on the outer rim of Baja California Sur. The eight-acre resort is an all-white vision surrounded by water canals, saltwater swimming pools, private cinema, and several wellness studios. Seriously – what more is there to say. A lot actually, although we are simply trying not to dribble all over the keyboard here. And you – how are you coping?

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Tom Ferguson.

Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali // The spectacular Alila Uluwatu in Bali designed by WOHA, is a resort considered by many as an ideal holiday destination with it’s hero image being that of a timber batten clad pavilion cantilevering off a cliff beyond an infinity pool.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of La Banane and Design Hotels.

Villa La Banane in Saint Barthelemy, The Caribbean // Villa La Banane is seriously BANANAS! First there’s the ridiculously amazing location on the island of Saint Barthélemy in the Caribbean. Then there’s a lot of yellow everywhere which is (almost) always a fabulous idea as far as I’m concerned. I should also mention it’s über-cool owners – vintage furniture collector Jean Marc Israël and Benjamin Fabbri, a former marketing director at Dior. Need I say more? With a combined passion for 1950s design and an eye for impeccable style, La Banane interiors are bathed in good taste at every possible opportunity.

Is it just me, or is all this fabulousness a little bit ridiculous and seriously exhausting? I think I need to grab a cocktail and go lie in the sun by the pool…… *splash*

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photo by Rene Enríquez.

Hotel Carlota Mexico by JSa Arquitectura // Hotel Carlota, which opened in June 2015, is a temple to high design. Built by the local firm JSa Arquitectura and “art-directed” by Cadena & Asociados, it’s a 36-room modernist outpost with a glass-walled swimming pool — a rarity in Mexico City’s boutique hotels.

Image courtesy of Tristan Auer.

Legendary Nightclub Les Bains Paris Becomes a Luxury Hotel & Bar // Thanks to the outstanding joint work of the architects and designers Vincent Bastie, Tristan Auer, and Denis Montel, Les Bains Paris shines as a vibrant, connected, international clubhouse and hotel, which includes a restaurant, bars, a pool, a private lounge, a club, guest rooms and suites. Set in the historic third arrondissement, the property is ideally nestled in Paris’ old aristocratic district, a trove of atmospheric streets and architectural splendours.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images © Soho House.

Soho House New York // A private members’ club and hotel in Manhattan, Soho House New York is built over six floors and 4,100 square meter of an old warehouse building in the Meatpacking District. How’s that rooftop pool? Jesus.

Meanwhile in Istanbul, Palazzo Corpi in the historic Beyoğlu district is home to the thirteenth and largest Soho House in the world. Serving as a private members’ club for the arts and entertainment industry, this latest international branch of the Soho House is housed within a former American embassy building built in 1882, complete with a brand new rooftop pool and bar with spectacular views over the city.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

INDOOR POOLS.

Photo by FG+SG.

Las Piedras Fasano in Punta del Este, Uruguay by Isay Weinfeld // Las Piedras Fasano hospitality complex combines private homes, hotel bungalows and other amenities – spa, equestrian centre, golf and polo fields and a 3-km beach stretch on the riverside of Arroyo Maldonado, spreading across vast 480 hectares dominated by a dramatic and dazzling landscape.

“We decided to set the swimming pool in a high part of the land, with privileged views to the surrounding landscape, taking advantage of a natural depression in the rocks,” shares Isay Weinfeld.

Photography by Olivier Hess.

Levring House in London by Jamie Fobert Architects // Located in the Bloomsbury Conservation area, this bold brick house infills a vacant corner plot to complete a historic mews. The new house was developed around a reinterpretation of the London light-well. A series of volumes step up from the basement to the top of the house, wrapping around the light-well and opening the whole house to daylight. The light-well descends right down into the basement, where there is a 14m pool lined with marble. Yeah, ok – that’s pretty cool.

Photography © Marcello Mariana.

Luxury Indoor Swimming Pool by act_romegialli // ‘La Piscina del Roccolo’ designed by act_romegialli architecture studio is a luxurious indoor swimming pool set in a historic home in Italy. The concept for the project was to create a pool and bathing house that would capitalise on the views of the countryside, providing an ideal space for exercise, relaxation, and connecting with nature. Nailed it.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photo by James Dow.

Integral House by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects in Toronto, Canada // A building really like no other, the Integral House by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, is a ground breaking piece of design that has arguably gone down in history as one of the most important built works of North America. The brief: to create a four bedroomed home, with an indoor pool, featuring curves that represent the mathematics of flowing change. Oh, with a central space that doubles-up as a theatrical concert space. Why not?

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Takumi Ota.

Japanese Community Centre for Elderly Residents by Issei Suma // Located on a rural site in Japan’s mountainous Shizuoka Prefecture, Tokyo-based architect Issei Suma has designed a cluster of tent-like structures which accommodate elderly residents of a small Japanese community. Called Jikka, the small complex is made up of five pavilions, containing facilities such as a spiral pool, bedroom, dining and kitchen.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography © Marcello Mariana.

Casa Luna in Milan, Italy by Buratti Architetti // Located in the outskirts of Milan, ‘Casa Luna’ by Buratti Architetti is a conversion of an existing duplex apartment into a new home. In this raw and monochromatic space, the bright volume of the swimming pool stands out as a big glass case, where the water and the lighting creates changing chromatic atmospheres.

Photo © Fausto Mazza.

House in Montalcino in Tuscany by Marco Pignattai // Designed by Marco Pignattai and Gerda Vossaert, this renovated Tuscan farmhouse features light as the main element of the project. Even in the areas where light is seen as a pragmatic tool, such as the long indoor pool and the bathroom, it has been beautifully considered. Each light feels like an architectural event, dancing through the home in a game of reflection and feedback.

Photography by Héléne Binet.

Feng Shui Swimming Pool in Paris by Mikou Studio // Rounded windows and skylights allow daylight to filter into this Parisian swimming pool by Mikou Studio. All the external walls are faced with undulating golden timber slats that recall the circular movements on the surface of water, and make reference to the circulation of energy and flows: the Feng Shui.

Photography by Clément Guillaume and David Romero-Uzeda.

Swimming Pool Extension in Bagneux by Dominique Coulon & Associes // Located in the Paris suburb of Bagneux, the aim of the refurbishment and expansion overseen by Strasbourg studio Dominique Coulon & Associes was to increase the facilities available to the local community, while ensuring the addition ties to the original 1950s architecture.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

OUTDOOR POOLS.

Waves breaking into the pool at Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, 1945. Photographer unknown, courtesy of National Archives of Australia.

Villa Marittima, designed by Robin Williams Architect, St Andrews Beach, Victoria, 2015. Photo by Dean Bradley.

Villa Marittima, designed by Robin Williams Architect, St Andrews Beach, Victoria, 2015. Photo by Dean Bradley.

Fairfield House by Kennedy Nolan Architects in Melbourne. Photography by Derek Swalwell.

Inside Australia’s ‘The Pool’ exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2016 // These images were generously shared with us by the curators of the ‘The Pool’ exhibition at Venice Biannele 2016, which explored the cultural significance of swimming pools in Australian life. These images formed part of the book, Pool, The: Architecture, Culture and Identity in Australia, which accompanied the exhibition. Copies of the book can be purchased here.

Photography © Salva Lopez.

Peratallada Castle in Spain by Mesura // The Peratallada Castle, located in the Baix Empordà (Catalonia, Spain) is a treasured National heritage building that preserves a clear vestige of it’s medieval past. “Our commission was to design the garden and landscape of this castle to be used as a summer private villa,” explain the architects.

The main factor of the intervention is the pool – a plane of water that’s permanently moving, with amazing surroundings playing a big role in the pool reflexions, with sound creating a magical atmosphere. The water overflows, and cascades over the concrete wall. Gorgeous!

Photography by Nuno Almendra.

House in Estoril Beach, Cape Verde, by José Adrião Arquitetos // The residential project consists of 18 detached houses, creating a small residential area that connects the seafront promenade to the beach. The units have two to three bedrooms and a courtyard with a garden area and swimming pool.

Photography by Tim Van de Velde.

Villa Roces in Belgium by Govaert and Vanhoutte // Located on a large site, Villa Roces sits in the forest that surroundings the city Bruges in Belgium. What appeals to me the most about this place is the sunken swimming pool which runs along the side of the house and can be seen from living room, bedroom and bathroom… It’s elements like this that make a beautiful study in lofty proportions, luxury of space and simplicity in details – all of which I am a bit of fan, you know.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Hess Hoen. Photography by Prue Ruscoe.

The Hermitage in Sydney’s Vaucluse by HessHoen // Extensive landscaping was completed to allow for a more seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Downstairs, five-metre hand-painted steel-and-glass doors were installed to open up the ground floor to spectacular harbour views. HessHoen designed the outdoor area with an international Mediterranean feel, complete with a pool-side bar, olive trees, wooden decking and relaxed seating.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Amit Geron.

‘In Praise of Shadows’ House by Pitsou Kedem Architects in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel // A design masterfully balancing contrasts, In Praise of Shadows is a residence that creates an inviting visual dialogue between inside and outside, making the most out of the site’s climatic conditions. Courtyards shaded by the Cor-Ten screen open up towards the garden, which includes a swimming pool.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Smart Design Studio.

Orama Residence in Sydney’s Woollahra by Smart Design Studio // The transformation of ‘Orama’, a gracious Victorian villa in Sydney’s Woollahra, involved the renovation and extension of an historic house. Where the old building is rich in detail, the new is pristine and simple. The concrete walls and floors extend out into the garden and swimming pool, making the landscape seem part of the decor.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Derek Swalwell.

‘Wolseley’ Residence in Melbourne’s Brighton by mckimm // The Wolesley Residence, designed and built by Mckimm, is a unique property imagined to cater to the needs of a young family of five. The home welcomes an energetic social life with well considered areas to entertain within a clever use of introspective architecture. The North /West orientation takes advantage of the best aspects of the block providing beautiful views from all rooms to the garden and the pool.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Images courtesy of Marc Merckx.

CD Pool House in Belgium by Marc Merckx // This stunning holiday home features a black timber facade which sits comfortably in it’s natural surrounds, offset by the blue shades of the swimming pool. The symmetry of the structure is mirrored by the reflection of the water, creating a beautiful sense of repetition.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography © José Hevia.

Fearmhouse Renovation in Girona, Spain by Arquitectura-G // Everything about the pool area is so dramatic – from the theatrical shadows cast by the gridded mesh to the play on volumes as spaces compress and expand. While Arquitectura-G have created a wonderful family home, it could easily be the backdrop of a high fashion photo shoot, the set of a Fellini-esque film or something equally peculiar and fantastic.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Pedro Kok.

RT Residence by Jacobsen Arquitetura in Laranjeiras, Brazil // Although built over two levels, Jacobsen Arquitetura have designed the RT Residence in Brazil, to appear like a compact and stylish bungalow. The triangular pool had it’s shape determined by the boundaries of the building.

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

POOL CONCEPTS.

Images © Leandro Erlich.

An Illusory Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich // Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich created an illusory swimming pool that seems to be filled with water. Installed as a permanent exhibit at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. The water in the pool is actually only 10cm shallow, supported by a thick layer of transparent glass. Underneath is an aqua room that viewers can enter, inviting a shared experience of wonder at the constructed space both from above and below.

Photography by Brett Boardman.

Australian Pavilion ‘The Pool’ by Aileen Sage Architects at the Venice Biennale 2016 // Aileen Sage Architects installed a swimming pool measuring 60 square meters inside Australia’s Biennale pavilion to symbolise the importance of this type of public space to the nation’s cultural identity.

“It’s a very key public space in Australian culture, a place where everyone’s equal, everyone’s welcome.”

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.

Photography by Takumi Ota.

Waterscape Memory of Water by Moriyuki Ochiai Architects // This project transforms a botanical garden located near Lake Ashi in the Hakone area, into a museum and a multi-purpose space. The site is surrounded by a rich natural environment cantering around Lake Ashi and Mountain Hakone.

In the same way that a lake is the accumulation of water droplets brought from various water sources, the transparent resin floor was flooded with elegant and lively elements using different reflective materials, such as mirrors, pieces of glass and fragments of metal, to produce a variety of light shining off the water surface.

Photography © Joseph Ford.

Game of Tennis in an Abandoned Swimming Pool // Titled ‘Anamorphosis’, this project uses the lines of a tennis court distorted and overplayed onto an abandoned swimming pool that can only be read from a certain perspective. 2.5 kilometres of blue gaffer tape, seven assistants, two anamorphosis artists, two parkour artists and one derelict swimming pool in Glasgow were used for the shoot. Everything is done for real. Pretty sick!

Read the full article about this project & see more images here.