Month: February 2018

The Most Spectacular Rooftop Pools

The rooftops of some luxury hotels conceal magical pools, veritable oases in the middle of urban landscapes accessible to only a few, where one can enjoy a relaxing dip above the cityscape.

In the top 5 spectacular rooftops pools, some will stand out for their architectural features, whilst others for their surroundings and the peace and quiet – which will be your favourite?

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

The first pool in our selection can be found in Singapore. Designed by the architect Moshe Safdie, this pool is located in the highest of the three towers that make up the five-star  Sands SkyPark, hotel. At 150 metres in length, it is the longest pool this high up in the world and has some of the best views of the city’s skyline.

Gansevoort Meatpacking, New York

This pool can be found in one of New York’s coolest areas: the Meatpacking District. Located on the 15th floor of the Gansevoort Meatpacking hotel, this heated pool enables guests to enjoy incredible views of the city that never sleeps. The rooftop area also has a sophisticated cocktail bar.

Grand Hotel Central, Barcelona

Elegant, discreet and blending in perfectly with the historical surroundings, this rooftop takes us to the fascinating Born district in Barcelona. This infinity pool can be found in the  Grand Hotel Central, whose owner, Pau Guardans, completely refurbished it in order to recreate the past splendour of the city’s high society at the turn of the last century.

The Joule, Dallas

The city of Dallas is the home of the next pool. Designed by Adam D. Tihany, this heated pool is on the eighth floor of the luxury Joule hotel. Without a doubt, its main attraction is the pool that perches over the side of the building where it is housed. Thanks to a huge Plexiglas window, bathers can enjoy spectacular views of the city.

Fasano, Rio de Janeiro

The final pool in this selection can be found in Rio de Janeiro. The infinity pool on the rooftop of the Fasano offers amazing views of Ipanema Beach, one of the most exclusive areas of Latin America. Designed by Phillipe Starck, this hotel is a hot spot for celebrities like Madonna, Will Smith or Beyoncé.

How does a pool work?

At first sight, a pool does not look that complicated. After all, it is a big hole in the ground full of water. However, there are various parts hidden under the surface that fit together to form its sophisticated inner workings, which enable us to have a great time splashing around in crystal clear water. Your pool is one of the largest and most important investments you will ever make. It is important that it looks great, is healthy and safe to swim in and continues to add value to your house at all times.

Pool water moves in a continuous cycle, whose centrepiece is the pump. Equipped with an electric motor, this device has an impeller that drives water through the skimmers and sumps (found at the top and bottom of a pool, respectively), takes it to the filter and then returns it clean through the return nozzles, a series of small valves placed around the pool. AstralPool has introduced the Viron XT variable-speed pump range. The pumps have nine-start energy efficiency, fast and overdrive functionality making it the efficient solution for a filtration pump for your pool.

To prevent a pump from becoming clogged up, the water goes through a basket-type plastic pre filter in order to retain leaves and other debris that is sufficiently big to block the mechanism before it reaches the pump. From the pump, the water reaches the filtration system, where any small particles of dirt are held back.

Plastic filters tanks that contain a filter bed, made of sand or glass. Gravity pushes the water through the sand or glass, which trap any dirt. When the water passes through the filter medium, it is pumped to the outlet pipe, which returns it to the pool. Obviously, as time goes by the filter medium must be cleaned, as the dirt that has built up can slow down the flow of water.

The core needs of any swimming pool are the filtration system which removes unsightly organic matter that feeds bacteria and algae plus the sanitiser which destroys any algae and bacteria which enters the water. Modern-day pumps, filters and pool cleaners remove the organic matter very effectively and automatically, almost eliminating day to day maintenance. Chlorinators cleverly produce sufficient sanitiser to destroy bacteria and algae but almost none regulate the amount of sanitiser or adjust the water balance, making it one of the most popular and healthy products on the market to ensure your pool is safe, healthy and looking great.

These are the basic components involved in how a pool works. However, there are other devices that although seemingly inconsequential are able to streamline a pool’s performance and turn it into an oasis of well-being:

Robotic Pool Cleaners go over the pool floor and ensure a thorough clean of the shell, as well as consuming very little water.

Heating systems make it possible to keep that water at a certain temperature and should be fitted with the filtration system and dispenser. AstralPool provides two options to extend your swimming season and swim comfortably all year round – gas heaters and inverter heater pumps.

SLX multi-colour LED Pool and Spa lights keep power consumption down to a minimum, whilst the light that shines from the walls creates a relaxing atmosphere worthy of any great design.

If you have any questions about how your pool works or maintenance, do not hesitate to contact us.

Pool Society Portraits

2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of photographer Slim Aarons, whose camera immortalised American high society between the 1950s and 80s. His shots tell stories of privilege and influence and made the swimming pool an object of desire for many generations.

C.Z. Guest by the pool at her home Villa Artemis in Palm Beach, Florida, 1955 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Although born in Manhattan in 1916, Slim Aarons was raised far from the bright lights of the Big Apple. The man who would become an indisputable insider into the Californian elite grew up with his grandparents on a New Hampshire farm and didn’t leave rural New England until he was 18 when he enlisted in the army.

Cannellopoulos Penthouse Pool, Athens, Greece, 1961 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

It was during his time at the military academy that he discovered his passion for photography. At West Point, Aarons was responsible for developing photographs and when he was sent to Europe to fight in World War II, he continued experimenting and progressing with the camera. When he returned from the war he got a job as a photojournalist with Life magazine.

The Good Life: C.Z. Guest and her son Alexander and dog at the pool at their home Villa Artemis in Palm Beach, Florida, 1955 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

His first job for the publication would change his life. When he was assigned to cover a Hollywood event, Aarons was so captivated by the elegance and pace of the city that he decided to move to Los Angeles and devote himself to snapping celebrities. Slowly but surely he worked his way into the Californian jet set and began to photograph the pool parties he was invited to.

Guests at the Villa Nirvana, owned by Oscar Obregon, in Las Brisas, Acapulco, Mexico, 1972. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

His pictures offered a glimpse into an exclusive world that many could only dream of. Everybody wanted Aarons at their parties: film and music stars, famous sportspeople, businesspeople, politicians and aristocrats. They all invited him to their glamorous and convivial poolside get-togethers, which he captured and published in the most influential magazines of the day. Indeed, his ability to open windows onto other lives inspired the script of his friend Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window.

circa 1960: A group of young women enjoying the sunshine in the grounds of the former George Newhall estate in San Francisco. Its house and gardens are modelled on Le Petit Trianon at Versailles. A Wonderful Time – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Aarons published his book A Wonderful Time in 1974 and although it didn’t originally sell well, it went on to become a staple for many designs and fashion professionals in the 1990s. A further three books cover his work: Slim Aarons: Once Upon a Time (2003), Slim Aarons: A Place in the Sun (2005) and the posthumous work Poolside with Slim Aarons (2007). Slim Aarons died in Montrose, New York, in 2006.

Image Source: Slim Aarons

Blue pool between red walls

Today, we once again turn our attention to 1970s architecture, in particular the work of Ricardo Bofill, an architect whose emblematic designs include the Barcelona airport expansion, the W Barcelona hotel, the remodel of an old cement factory on the outskirts of Barcelona (which he turned into his headquarters, the Taller de Arquitectura), and the design and construction of La Muralla Roja resort from 1968 to 1973. 

Located in La Manzanera tourist complex, Bofill introduced a prominent feature along the coastline of the Alicante town of Calpe with his red building. The project embodies a clear reference to the popular architecture of the Arab Mediterranean, in particular, the adobe towers of North Africa.

La Muralla Roja is like a fortress on a rocky cliff that towers over a landscape dotted with olive trees, marking a vertical silhouette that reinterprets the Mediterranean tradition of the kasbah. Inside, the labyrinth of this recreated kasbah is based on the shape of a cross, creating a set of interconnected patios that provide access to 50 apartments, which include 60 m² studios, and two- and three-bedroom apartments that measure 80 m² and 120 m², respectively. Hallways, terraces, stairways and courtyards are extensions of the living spaces designed by the Catalan architect.

The residents’ only pool is located on the roof, which offers views of the blue Mediterranean from between red towers. All exterior surfaces of the complex are painted in various shades of red to accentuate the contrast with the landscape and complement its purity. The interior patios and stairs, however, are painted in blue tones (such as sky blue, indigo and violet) to produce a contrast with the sky or, conversely, the optical illusion of blending with it.

The spectacular complex, rated as a “comprehensive protection” building that must conserve all its architectural features, has served as a backdrop for numerous adverts. The most recent was the campaign for the 2016 spring collection of a Spanish couture brand. Gregori Civera’s photos of the complex are also highly recommended.

Image Source: Ricardo Bofill / Gregori Civera