Before summer has had its last splash, we’ve rounded up a handful of design-forward swimming pools that have us ready to jump right in.
1 Splash by Manuel Ocaña
When a new building was constructed behind the back garden of a Madrid family home, what was once an infinity pool that seemed to extend into the sunset became a dark and unwelcoming body of water, overshadowed by a rough and imposing concrete wall. Local architect Manuel Ocaña was called on to help disguise the intrusion with an intervention, which had to preserve access to a staircase that descends alongside the pool. Ocaña’s solution: a vertical garden that floats between spaces, and is adorned with a scattering of mirrored discs to reflect much-needed light into the garden and onto the water’s shimmering surface.
2 Block Party by Andrew Faris
Each summer, the Manhattan Park Pool Club on Roosevelt Island features a pop-up redesign in the form of a mural that transforms the pool deck for the length of the summer season. This year, Andrew Faris – a Jackson, Wyoming, artist who is known for his colourful, geometric paintings – transformed the space with a candy-coloured rainbow.
3 Syros Residence by Block722
This summer house on the Greek Island of Syros, designed by Athens-based Block722 Architecture, recently earned the firm a place in the 8th Biennale of Young Greek Architects. The main house is surrounded by four guest cabins, and the stand-out feature of the getaway is the infinity pool that overhangs the rocky shoreline to disappear into the Aegean Sea beyond.
4 Casa L4 by Luciano Kruk
Located outside the Argentine resort town of Pinamar, and tucked between the sand-dune coastline and a pine forest, Casa L4 is truly a hidden gem. The four-bedroom house features concrete walls – inside and out – and maximizes outdoor space with a rooftop pool that allows minimal interruption of the natural landscape and trees. It also enables the residents to enjoy stunning views while they swim amongst the treetops.
