Deep Blue: Top 9 Outdoor Swimming Pools

After the sad closure of the Victoria Park outdoor swimming pool, which we have written about in our last post, we decided to look for our most favorable outdoor pools. Please find below our top 9 in random order:

Alvaro Siza, Leca

Beautiful seafront pool that makes use of the natural topographical formation. Rocks are embedded into the pool design. On different platforms, you have a stunning view over the Atlantic Ocean. The pool is fed by seawater only. Some pools are so close to the shore that they are a natural wave pool.

Peter Zumtor, Vals

Serene and Zen, the minimal design enhances the peace and tranquility of the pool. Similar to Siza, natural elements and materials play a vital role to the pool and its atmosphere. 

Pichler+Traubman, Private Pool
Although the pool is very small, it features with the singular operation of a sliced and folded plane a huge variety of functions. From water slide to beach slope to underground elements. The pool picks up the language of the landscape as a topographical change.

MVRDV, Sloterpark

Never built, the pool design makes use of the quality of the section of a pool and makes it the generator for the entire building.

Moshe Saftie, Marina Bay Sands Sky Park
The proportions of the entire development went very off compared to the commission proposal. Yet, being located above Singapore, the pool is a fine example of what spectacular sight an endless pool can allow for. It is clearly one of the most interesting sightseeing tower experiences, I ever had.

Plot, Copenhagen Harbour Bath

Fed by seawater, the pool is framing the nature through topographical transformation of the wooden deck. The pool is built into the river and has a strong presence of the city around it. The beauty of the pool lies in the multi functionality of the wooden deck, which can server as a sunning deck as well as a springboard.

Paschke+Milhonic, Zollverein Essen

Built into the centre of the world heritage site at the Zollverein Essen, the pool was planned as an art installation to re inhabit the Zollverein. The contrast to the surrounding creates surreal and magical moments.

Eco Pool

One of the most beautiful swimming experiences I had beyond ocean and lake, was in an eco pool. Spatially very interesting as it blends the garden pond with the functional pool. The importance is that the ratio between heavy planted shallow water (for cleaning and filtering) and the pool itself is at balance. It also takes time to create an equilibrium to the pool. But after that, water quality is unbeatable.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale in Turkey is not man made. It is a natural formation of ponds and puddles. Maybe the most imaginative and design oriented swimming experience - if only it would have been invented by man.

All images have been downloaded from the internet, we do not claim authorship over those images.

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