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From infinity pools that blend into the landscape to suspended baths linking skyscrapers together, swimming pools that push boundaries are fast becoming a statement feature in the design of a building.
Courtesy OPA
It may seem the stuff of Bond films, but this submerged house inside a Beirut cliff-edge has been given the go-ahead. Initiated by OPA Open Platform for Architecture continued through LAAV Architects, the project is backed by Lebanese entrepreneur Alex Demirdjian.
Courtesy OPA
The build will feature a glass bottomed pool on its roof, allowing light to travel into the living spaces.
OPA Open Platform for Architecture
A series of concrete steps will lead down into the entrance of the property where it will then meet a balcony that cantilevers over the cliff edge.
©Alex Filz
At the foot of the Alps in the Puster Valley sits Hotel Herbertus. Its new 16 suites have garnered plenty of attention, but it's the new 25m pool which has really caught people's eyes.
©Alex Filz
The pool cantilevers off the building and features as a connector between the old and the new aspects of the hotel.
©Alex Filz
Designed by noAarchitecten, the pool appears as though it is floating in the valley.
Wiel Arets Architects
The Jellyfish house in Marbella, Spain was designed by Dutch firm Wiel Arets Architects. It features an impressive cantilevering pool jutting from its roof.
Wiel Arets Architects
A private residence, the three storied house allows its inhabitants to swim on the roof while enjoying the views of the Mediterranean.
Wiel Arets Architects
Inside Jellyfish house a glass window within the pool allows people in the kitchen to observe those swimming.
KOIS ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
Mirage house will sit on the Greek island of Tinos with a spectacular infinity pool making up the build's roof.
KOIS ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
Designed by Kois Associated Architects, its future residents will be lucky enough to enjoy views of the Aegean Sea.
KOIS ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
The infinity pool will hang over the top of landscape, while beneath it an open air living room will benefit from the shade.
Åke E:son Lindman
The Villa Midgard in Sweden offers its residents an infinity pool made from dark concrete.
Åke E:son Lindman
Designed by Stockhom based studio DAPstockholm, the pool's surface sits on the deck of the upper ground level, meaning visitors entering on the floor below have this amazing view on their arrival.
Hayes Davidson
A new quarter being built next door to London's Battersea Power Station will feature a suspended, glass-bottomed pool between two of the residential blocks.
Hayes Davidson
The remarkable pool has been designed by architecture firm Arup Associates with help from aquarium experts Reynolds.
While clients asking for a residential pool often favor extravagance in terms of cost and size, unusual designs can be more memorable. DAPstockholm built a concrete plunge pool with a large window that can be seen from ground level, giving bathers the feeling of being in an aquarium.
An elevated swimming pool built by Wiel Arets for a holiday home in Marbella has a glazed underside that cantilevers over an outdoor lounge area. But NOA took a cantilever one step further for a pool for skiers at Hotel Hubertus in the Alps.
The rectangular structure balances 12 meters (40 feet) above ground on wooden columns, while a glazed panel in the base offers bathers dramatic views of the landscape. Meanwhile in the UK, Arup Associates has planned a transparent “sky pool” that would form a bridge between two apartment buildings in south London.
©Alex Filz
At the Hotel Hubertus in Italy, the pool cantilevers off the building and features as a connector between the old and the new features of the hotel.
In new conceptual buildings, swimming pools play an integral part in the architecture itself. Mirage House by Kois Associated Architects is a notable example. The entire roof is formed from an infinity pool while the house is buried into the terrain – so it can blend seamlessly into the Aegean Sea.
A subterranean residence – a concept initiated by OPA and continued through LAAV Architects – will slice into mountain near Beirut and feature a glass swimming pool for a roof at a sharp 90 degree angle.
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