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After yet another apocalyptic winter in much of the Northern hemisphere, things are finally heating up for summer — and what better way to cool off than with a dip in your local swimming hole? Right on cue, Rotterdam-based Ooze Architects have designed a refreshing new attraction for London, collaborating with artist Marjetica Potrc to create “the U.K.’s first man-made fresh water bathing pond” in King’s Cross.
© Ooze
© John Sturrock
The King’s Cross Pond Club, which the designers are calling “an art installation you can swim in,” is filtered naturally using wetland plants, so no chemical treatment is required. Its arrival near one of the country’s busiest transport hubs creates a striking visual contrast between urban and rural conditions, providing a rare oasis of serenity within the frenetic heart of London.
If that has gotten you searching for your bathing cap and swimming costume, here are seven more outstanding outdoor pools around the world to whet your appetite for the coming summer months.
© NAU
© Roger Frei
Baths of Géronde by NAU, Sierre, Switzerland
The historic baths of Géronde were renovated and extended in the picturesque Rhone valley, providing a changing facilities in a modernist style with a restrained material palette of concrete, aluminum, and wood.
Summer Pools in Godella by Alvarez Cubells Arquitectos, Godella, Spain
Located in Valencia’s “Jardin D-Obradors Sur,” this urban park combines perfectly circular lounging pools with changing facilities housed in a series of cylindrical concrete structures. The stylish aesthetic appears more akin to a modern art museum than a public swimming hole.
Copenhagen Harbor Bath by JDS Architects and BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Copenhagen, Denmark
The design for this popular combination of pier and pool in Denmark’s capital was driven by a desire to bring the social interactions of the beach into the city. The timber structure incorporates a variety of seating, walkways, and diving platforms for sunbathing and water-based fun, as well as swimming. BIG also have a planned extension in the works.
Swimming Pool K by dmvA Architecten, Grimbergen, Belgium
This gleaming white pool was constructed on the rooftop of an old school building in Belgium, juxtaposing beautifully with the ornate stone details of the early 12th century Grimbergen Abbey Church nearby.
McCarren Pool and Bathhouse by Marvel Architects, New York
After sitting vacant for nearly three decades, one of New York City’s original 1936 swimming pools was renovated and reopened in 2012 (located in Brooklyn’s ultra-hip Williamsburg neighborhood, the empty pool served as a concert venue for several summers). The historic brick bathhouse was preserved, its grand archway providing a prominent entrance for this popular public amenity in Brooklyn.
San Alfonso del Mar Beach Resort by MGA, Provincia de San Antonio, Chile
If you like swimming lengths, you may want to pace yourself here — located on the Pacific coast of Chile, this humungous hotel pool is the largest on the planet. Over a kilometer long, the lagoon is filled with 250 million liters of filtered seawater and includes a Louvre-style glass pyramid housing a heated pool.
Bonus: +POOL by Playlab and Family, New York
The one every New Yorker is waiting for. Backed by one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns for architecture and engineering in history, this pool of filtered river water should be floating just north of the Brooklyn Bridge very soon. Check out the latest on the project over here — you can even purchase a personalized tile to help make the pool a reality!
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