Archinect - News

Title of world's highest outdoor pool goes to new supertall tower in Nanning, China

2022-11-10T13:08:00-05:00

Goettsch Partners has completed work on a new 1,322-foot-tall tower in Nanning, China, topped by a special feature they say sets the record for the world’s highest outdoor swimming pool.

The new Guangxi China Resources Tower is a mixed-use design that incorporates a 336-room hotel, office spaces, and retail into its over 2.93-million-square-foot supertall structure, which now stands as the 18th tallest building in China and the 37th tallest in the world.

Image: © Arch-Exist

GP CEO James Zheng called his team’s design a “symbol of rising prosperity for the city.” At 1,060 feet above grade, the swimming pool feature, located inside the 71st-floor terrace of the hotel, is higher than the iconic infinity pool located on the 57th floor of Moshe Safdie’s Marina Bay Sands, which was previously considered to be the world-record holder.

Image: © Arch-Exist

Its tapering form presents clear delineations between the lower-level office program and the hotel amenity above. The t...

10 pools & ponds we liked this week

2022-08-27T11:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Maui Residence in Hawaii by Walker Warner Architects; Landscape Architect: Lutsko Associates; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ HT Residence in Manhattan Beach, CA by Laney LA; Photo: Joe Fletcher

↑ GIORIO CASA Store in Xuzhou, China; Interior Design: CATANIAN; Photo: Jin Weiqi

↑ Diagonal House in Aveiro, Portugal by Frari-architecture network; Photo: Ivo Tavares Studio

↑ Modern Bungalow in Los Angeles, CA by RIOS

↑ Mountain House in Aspen, CO by RO | ROCKETT DESIGN; Landscape Architect: Lift Studio; Pool Design: Modern Design & Build; Photo: Draper White Photography

↑ Kohala Coast Residence on Big Island, HI by de Reu...

Sydney is the latest city to pursue a floating pool scheme as it looks to further revitalize its harbor

2021-10-25T19:17:00-04:00

Moore's office commissioned Australia-based Andrew Burges Architects (ABA) to reimagine what Sydney Harbor could look like if there were sections accessible for public swimming. Her proposal mentions that climate change and an increasing population will both change Sydney's makeup in the decades to come, and with green space at a premium, cleaning up the harbor and making it swimmable could be a good way to give residents a way to cool off.

Cities like Copenhagen, which has successfully converted much of its canalway into programmable public park-type spaces, are serving as a model for Sydney and other world metropolises with similar water park-like developments proposed for the near future.

Sydney Harbour has seen shark episodes on and off throughout the past century, leading the cities to install safety netting and a host of harbor-adjacent public pools that are already very popular. The Harbour itself faces a serious flooding threat by mid-century in addition to a cleanup effort that will abate pollution caused by runoff from some of the reclaimed land around the Harbour.

"This vision rests on improving water quality," Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore told CNN. "Some parts of our harbor are highly polluted and cleaning up these waterways so they can be used for recreation and to improve biodiversity will require cooperation across all levels of government."

Related on Archinect: The long-awaited Plus Pool officiall...

10 examples of pools & ponds in architecture

2021-08-06T12:19:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Emiliano Rio Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Oppenheim Architecture and Studio Arthur Casas (Oppenheim Architecture was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Photo: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG Photography

↑ Hale Mau’u on Big Island, HI by Walker Warner Architects (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Landscape: David Y. Tamura Associates, Inc.; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Shou County Culture and Art Center in Shou County, China by Studio Zhu-Pei; Landscape Collaborator: The Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture China Academy of Art; Photo: Su Shengliang

↑ Crow...

10 fresh examples of pools & ponds in architecture

2020-07-03T14:39:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

↑ Spring Road Residence in Ross, CA by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Oak Woodland in San Francisco, CA by Walker Warner Architects; Landscape Design: Ground Studio Landscape Architecture; Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Suzhou Swan Harbor Park in Suzhou, China by Lacime Architects; Landscape: Shanghai Wendao Landscape Design; Photo: Schran Images & Pei Hao

↑ Art Villas in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica by Formafatal; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Pool House in Shelter Island Heights, NY by General Assembly

↑ Zhejiang Perfect Production Factory (Phase1) in Haining, China by gad · line + studio; Photo: ...

Downtown LA skyscraper with cantilevered glass-bottom swimming pools gets thumbs-up from city planning commission

2019-09-13T15:02:00-04:00

Plans for what could become one of Downtown’s most unique-looking skyscrapers received unanimous approval today from the city’s planning commission. With cantilevered swimming pools jutting out of its upper floors, the tower proposed for across the street from Pershing Square has been said to look like an in-progress game of Jenga. Commissioner Samantha Millman called it an “ambitious and audacious project.”

The Arquitectonica-designed 53-story hotel and condo tower with its precariously cantilevering glass-bottom swimming pools (hey, it's LA!) first appeared on Archinect last fall and quickly became the subject of much debate.

Additional renderings were released in May this year.

Image courtesy of Arquitectonica

If all goes as planned, JMF Development Co. aims to have the 784-foot tower completed by 2023.

10 new examples of pools & ponds in architecture

2019-09-13T03:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

↑ Poolhouse & Gallery in Whitefish, MT by CTA | Cushing Terrell; Photo: Audrey Hall

↑ Beautiful "Island" Over Didang Lake in Shaoxing, China by HYP-ARCH DESIGN; Landscape Design: GVL (Greenview Landscape International Design Group); Photo: Anqi Liu

↑ Residence in East Aurora, NY by Bushman Dreyfus Architects

↑ Sukhumvit 91 House in Bangkok, Thailand by Archimontage Design Fields Sophisticated; Photo: Chalermwat Wongchompoo

↑ Laurelhurst Garden in Seattle, WA by Mw|works Architecture + Design; Landscape Architect: Wittman Estes Architecture + Landscape; Photo: Jeremy Bitterman

↑ Casa CAF in Hidalgo, Mexico by Estu...

This 360-degree rooftop infinity pool could make a splash in London

2019-06-06T17:37:00-04:00

For thrill-seeking swimmers, the chance to take a death-defying dip might not be far away. Plans to build a rooftop infinity pool -- with 360-degree views of the London skyline -- are in motion. The designs for the 600,000-liter pool and 55-story building, named Infinity London, have been unveiled by Compass Pools.

Infinity pools? Seen those before. On a skyscraper rooftop? Please. 360 degrees? Now we're talking!

"The pool is made from cast acrylic rather than glass, as this material transmits light at a similar wavelength to water so that the pool will look perfectly clear," British pool maker Compass Pools explains its lofty proposal for London. "The floor of the pool is also transparent, allowing visitors to see the swimmers and sky above." Of course it is.

Image: Compass Pools

How do people get inside that thing, you ask? "Swimmers will access the pool through a rotating spiral staircase based on the door of a submarine, rising from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out." Cool. What could possibly go wrong.

Image: Compass Pools

But doesn't the pool water from 200 meters high up in the sky end up all over the neighborhood when the London wind is in a gusty mood? "Other advanced technical features include a built-in anemometer to monitor the wind speed. This is linked to a compute...

New renders of a tower planned across the Pershing Square

2019-05-15T13:54:00-04:00

The 5th and Hill development, slated for an L-shaped property wrapping the historic Pershing Square Building, is a product of real estate investment firm JMF Development Co. Plans call for the construction of a 53-story, 784-foot-tall building which could feature either 1) 160 condominiums or 2) a combination of 31 condominiums and a 190-room hotel. Both use options include a mix of restaurant space and amenities, with parking to be located in a five-level podium and two subterranean levels.

The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee is holding a public meeting on the 21st of May, where one of the projects discussed will be the proposed 53-story tower, new images of which have recently been made public.

The mixed-use structure is designed by Arquitectonica and features an array of protruding masses that begin as balconies, and increase in size to become cantilevered glass-bottom pools toward the top of the tower.

Image courtesy of Arquitectonica

The project is estimated to be completed in 2023.

10 laid-back examples of pools & ponds in architecture

2018-12-21T14:28:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

↑ Kauhale Kai in North Kona Coast, HI by de Reus Architects

↑ Banyan Tree Anji in Baishuiwan Village, China by gad; Soft Furnishing Design: YANG & Associates Group; Photo: Xiao En

↑ O Cuatro Residence in Mexico City by MIGDAL ARQUITECTOS; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ The Import Building in London, UK by Studio RHE

↑ CRCC Chongqing City Park Sales Pavilion in Chongqing, China by aoe

↑ Lake Austin Residence in Austin, TX by A Parallel Architecture

↑ G'Day House in Vancouver, Canada by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses

↑ Light Tunnel - Lishui Corporate Office in Lishui, China by Usual Studio; Photo: Tim Wu

↑ Forest <> House in No...

Arquitectonica designs a 53-story Jenga-like tower near LA's Pershing Square

2018-11-05T13:49:00-05:00

JMF Development Co. [...] hopes to construct a 53-story tower on the vacant, L-shaped lot which wraps the historic structure. [...] Arquitectonica is designing the proposed 784-foot-tall glass-and-steel tower, which is highlighted by a collection of cantilevered, glass-bottom pools for residents on the building's upper levels. While some of the protrusions would extend over the Pershing Square Building, none would hover above the public right-of-way.

Image: JMF Development Co., via urbanize.la.

A rather dramatic example of the stacked-boxes scheme might go up at 5th and Hill, near Pershing Square, in Downtown Los Angeles soon.

Designed by Arquitectonica, JMF Development Co. proposes the 53-story tower with its fiercely protruding glass-bottom swimming pools as two potential options: few condominiums + hotel/restaurant if signs of a lurking next recession became clearer vs. plenty of condos + ground-floor retail space if the economic outlook stays strong.

How the infinity pool became a social media status symbol

2018-03-26T19:02:00-04:00

To Skip Phillips, consumer-driven demand has moved the infinity pool away from its original design premise of blending with the landscape. It doesn’t have to be a vertical drop, like that at Marina Bay Sands. “The impetus for this came from the buying public,” and, he adds, “an uneducated pool industry.” To understand how the infinity pool became a status symbol, it’s important to realize that “wellness” is a luxury commodity.

This Outline piece by Daisy Alioto dives into the origins of the vanishing edge infinity pool, which now — thanks to a lot of help from social media — has evolved into a trendy symbol of luxury.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Pools & Fountains" Pinterest Board

2017-07-14T15:17:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Pools & Fountains.

↑ Casa Narigua in Nuevo León, Mexico by P+0 Arquitectura

↑ Regent Park Aquatic Centre in Toronto, Canada by MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA)

↑ Beiqijia Technology Business District in Beijing, China by Martha Schwartz Partners; Photo: Terrence Zhang

↑ PRESTON in Venice, CA by OBERMEYER

↑ Folly Point in Gloucester, MA by BUTZ + KLUG Architecture

↑ Three Views / A House in Tehran, Iran by New Wave Architecture (Lida Almassian / Shahin Heidari); Photo: Parham Taghioff

↑ A+M Residence in rural Mississippi by archimania

↑ Morgan Phoa Library and Residence in Los Angeles, CA by SPF:a - Studio Pali Fekete ar...

Construction of SHoP's 29th-floor skybridge pool nearing completion

2016-04-21T17:50:00-04:00

Workers have almost completed mounting the copper paneling on the American Copper Buildings (née 626 First Avenue), the new tilting, two-towered development on Manhattan’s East Side, but their most striking feature—a three-story, 100-foot-long skybridge—is still open to the elements. [...] The skybridge itself, though, is designed to be the showstopper. The architects placed a 75-foot lap pool on the bridge, so residents can swim 300 feet in the air [...].

↑ Interior rendering of the skybridge pool area on the 29th floor.

↑ Exterior rendering of the SHoP-designed towers with the skybridge spanning the 27th to 29th floors. (Image: JDS Development; via bloomberg.com)

↑ JDS Developers hope to have the towers completed in 2017.

Images via the developer's website and bloomberg.com.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's NEW "Rooftop Spaces" Pinterest Board

2016-04-01T18:26:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the brand new board Rooftop Spaces.

↑ A Hard Working House in London, UK by Urban Projects Bureau; Photo: Richard Leeney

↑ Hotel Básico in Playa del Carmen, Mexico by Central de Arquitectura

↑ Harrison Street in San Francisco, CA by Dawson and Clinton

↑ Sculptural rooftop & garden in Chicago, IL by dSpace Studio

↑ 930 Poydras Residential Tower in New Orleans, LA by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple

↑ Chelsea Roof Terrace in New York, NY by James Cleary Architecture, Landscape Design: Rumsey Farber Landscape Architecture; Photo: Jason Valdina

↑ DNA Model Management in New York, NY by Calvert Wright Architecture | Spatial Discipline; Photo: Bjorg Magnea

↑ Xafix House ...

What's new in Dubai: shipping a gigantic floating swimming pool deck over all the way from Finland

2016-01-26T13:56:00-05:00

Dubai’s iconic sail-shaped hotel, the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, is about to undergo a dramatic expansion of its footprint with the addition of a huge deck extending out over the waters of the Gulf. In what’s being called a “world first” in marine design and engineering, the so-called North Deck has been manufactured at a shipyard in Finland and is now undergoing an 8,000-nautical-mile journey by ship, in six sections.

London's oligarch-transformation continues with a "sky pool"

2015-08-20T18:46:00-04:00

For the overseas investor who has it all, what better trophy to add to the portfolio of properties you will never visit than an apartment with its own “sky pool”? London may already have a fairytale Sky Garden, but now Irish developer Ballymore plans to introduce a “world first” all-glass swimming pool bridge between two apartment blocks in Nine Elms, allowing its residents to float 10 storeys up in the air. -Oliver Wainwright

Editor's Picks #421

2015-06-24T09:24:00-04:00

Amelia Taylor-Hochberg penned What makes an artless museum?, which reviewed the February Sky-lit event/preview of the new Broad Museum. Therein she argues that it provided "an opportunity for the architecture to be treated as a relational art object, but not so it could be handled with velvet gloves". Chris Teeter commented "great article, it's worth 2 or 3 reads…" Donna Sink wrote "A meaty essay...on the Broad Museum (meat, contraceptive sponges, art, raw spectacle: it's a big topic"

Plus, Julia Ingalls explored the Role of Software vs. Vision in Architectural Employment. Derek Kaplan thought it was a "Great article on a topic that needs more discussion."

News

Charles Correa, named "India’s Greatest Architect" by RIBA, died at 84. jla-x eulogized "He was pretty great. I studied his residential developments extensively as a student...He will be missed".

Despite recovering from several major surgeries for cancer, Tadao Ando spoke with NHK World about; recent projects, the durability of...

+POOL installation to open at the Ace Hotel in NY next month

2015-01-28T19:38:00-05:00

Since Archinect first mentioned the Family and PlayLab's +POOL in 2011, the initiative has made significant progress toward realizing the world's first water-filtering, floating pool in New York.

After two wildly successful Kickstarter campaigns in 2011 and 2013 along with international acclaim, the non-profit support group Friends of +POOL teamed up with the Ace Hotel in New York to present a free public art installation,“Doing Something Big When No One Asks You To Do Something Big.”

Opening on February 5 at the Ace Hotel Gallery, the interactive installation will visually depict the four years of research and development that led to the creation of the +POOL. The installation will feature floor-to-ceiling wall drawings of the +POOL that explain its design process and reveal its latest discoveries and anecdotes.

All are welcome to the opening reception hosted by +POOL’s founders and board members on February 5 from 7-9 p.m. The exhibition will be open 24/7 until March 1.

Learn more...

This secret swimming pool in the Mojave desert could be all yours...

2014-06-30T18:51:00-04:00

The piece was completed last Friday and it consists of a single, diminutive swimming pool located somewhere in the southern Mojave Desert between Joshua Tree and Apple Valley. The public is allowed to use the pool, but in order to do so visitors need the key that unlocks it (it is kept covered) as well as the GPS coordinates. Only once you have the key, which is kept at the MAK Center, are you given the coordinates.

BIG + HKS + MDA unveils Honeycomb resort design for The Bahamas

2014-01-27T15:14:00-05:00

BIG, in collaboration with HKS Architects and Michael Diggiss Architects, revealed their design for the Honeycomb residential building in the beach and golf resort community of Albany in The Bahamas. Commissioned by Tavistock Group and New Valley LLC, the 175,000 ft² (approx. 16,000 m²) residential building will be the tallest structure in Albany, set to become a new centerpiece for the city.

BIG sent us more details on the project right below:

"The façade has a hexagonal pattern that uniquely frames the natural beauty of the Island. The balconies are deep enough to not only provide outdoor spaces, but also summer kitchens and a pool sunken into the balcony of each unit."

"These pools have a transparent edge towards the plaza, eliminating the visual barrier between the pool and the environment. Bathers can be fully immersed in the view of the marina and the ocean beyond."

"Bjarke Ingels: 'Our design is driven by an effort to maximize the enjoyment of the abundant natural qualities of Al...

Every pool in Los Angeles, mapped

2013-12-03T11:22:00-05:00

Two academics wondered about the number of swimming pools in the L.A. Basin. They got their answer with computer mapping, but [...] along the way, they discovered something more than just the real-world versions of the iconic David Hockney pool utopias. Their project also proved that two non-experts were able to take a massive amount of freely available data to peek into other people's lives.

The Hypnotic Architecture Of Empty Swimming Pools

2013-08-20T20:38:00-04:00

We have to admit, we haven't spent much time ogling the architecture of public pools. But those days are over, at least after catching a glimpse of Franck Bohbot's hypnotic photos of empty swimming vessels. [...] He is, he expressed, "interested in the relationship between the water, the architecture and the individual."

If you are in love with Franck Bohbot's photographs as much as we are, go and check out the Archinect In Focus feature we did with him in 2012.

Pool House Florida by NL Architects

2013-03-21T14:00:00-04:00

About a year ago, we published the rather unusual proposal for a Bike Pavilion in China's Hainan Province designed by NL Architects. The concept of using any available square inch of roof space seems to have grown into a trademark of the Amsterdam-based architects, as they are now sharing their latest proposal, a pool house for a client in Del Rey Beach, Florida.

Project Description from NL Architects:

In October 2011 we received an exhilarating email by Andrew R:

I have researched a number of highly successful up and coming contemporary architects with world- wide acclaim, and feel that the work of NL Architects exemplifies the vision I have in mind for my future home.

Andrew purchased a property in Del Ray Beach, Florida and planned to replace the existing 12,000 square foot mansion with a smaller home of 8,000 and guest house of 4,000 square foot.

Clearly a potential dream assignment; we immediately started drawing... we prepared a ‘sketchbook’ that intended to cataly...

The Badboot Lido Opens in Antwerp

2012-08-16T14:18:00-04:00

If you happen to be in Antwerp, Belgium this summer, make sure to check out "Badboot" [...], the world's largest floating open-air swimming pool, which opened this week. At an overall length of 120 meters (394 feet), the lido is capable of receiving up to 600 people at two event halls, a swimming pool and a restaurant with a lounge terrace, which are all open to the public.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Outdoors" Pinterest Board

2012-06-15T15:24:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Outdoors.

↑ Eels Nest in Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA by Anonymous Architects

↑ La Caracola Beach House in Acapulco, Mexico by PAUL CREMOUX studio (Photo: PCW and Roberto Beltrán)

↑ Round Tower in Gloucestershire, GB by De Matos Ryan

↑ Privet in Tijuana, Mexico by T38studio

↑ Hollywood Bungalow in Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA by Walker Workshop

↑ Tree Adventure in Philadelphia, PA by Metcalfe Architecture & Design

↑ Residence Mosi in Johannesburg, South Africa by Nico van der Meulen Architects

↑ Casa Estudio in Mexico City by Taller de Arquitectura

↑ Midtown Minimal Rooftop Garden in New York City by workshop/apd (Photo: T. G. Olcott)

(Cover pic: Casa-Despacho in Zapopan, Mexico by Juan I...

Badboot Lido Coming to Antwerp this Summer

2012-05-01T18:15:00-04:00

One of the world’s biggest floating openair swimming pools will open on the Eilandje in Antwerp, Belgium at the Kattendijkdok in mid-August. The pool, with a total length of 120 meters (394 feet), can accommodate 600 people and consists of a swim basin, two event venues, several floors and a restaurant with a lounge terrace.

'Badboot' was designed by architect Pieter Peerlings and Silvia Mertens of Sculp(IT) Architecten, known for the narrowest house in Antwerp (remember this incredibly popular Archinect Showcase Feature?).

Mikou Design Studio’s Swimming Pool Feng Shui

2012-04-27T18:46:00-04:00

The proposal 'Swimming Pool Feng Shui' by Paris-based Mikou Design Studio has been named winning entry in a competition for a swimming pool in the city of Issy les Moulineaux, France.