These Urban Pools Will Make You Crave Summer
As the temperatures rise and we start breaking out the short-shorts and Popsicle sticks, it’s time to start thinking about pools. We don’t mean your local public pool with its plastic lounge chairs and sizzling hot concrete, though. This year, we’re dreaming about jade tiles, infinity designs, retro kidney shapes, and designer patio furniture in impressive city environments. From Chicago to Havana, below are some of the world’s most creative urban pools.
Can’t you just imagine how fun a hot summer afternoon would be as a resident of this Georgian Revival building at 18 Gramercy Park South in Greenwich Village. You would slip on your cat eye sunglasses, grab a towel, and head up to the roof to while away the hours in the mini pool and hot tub. Douglas Elliman Real Estate gives us a peek at the compact roof space, complete with an alternating-pattern wood deck, a nook of an infinity pool, and blue tiled side tables between the deck chairs.
New York City is infamous for its compact spaces, and pools are no exception. This private outdoor space at 55 Warren Street in Tribeca has a charming two-person swimming pool that’s tucked into the corner of its rooftop. But while small, it still feels welcoming thanks to pool stairs that melt into a wrap-around bench and plenty of greenery.
One of the most exclusive, members-only clubs in Chicago, Soho House features a rooftop pool that makes the costly membership feel worth it. The midcentury-esque rooftop has everything from outdoor fireplaces to cozy couches so you can take in the skyline at night, but the pool is the true standout. Sixty feet long and surrounded by a massive blue-and-white wraparound couch, this would be the perfect place to order a cocktail and soak up some sun.
Speaking of midcentury flair, this rooftop throws us right back into the ’50s with its retro design. Created by Idoia Otegui, the stylish Madrid, Spain, rooftop features a kidney-shaped pool and a smattering of houseplants to bring some greenery into the cityscape.
Talk about a view. This rooftop pool at the Gran Hotel Manzana Kempinski La Habana offers up some of the best views of the city. The hotel is set in a former shopping arcade in Old Havana, Cuba, so you’re surrounded by El Capitolio’s dome, the scalloped peaks of cathedrals, and the rooftops of old museums.
This cozy pool nook is found in The Hideaway, an Austin, Texas, Airbnb located in Travis Heights. Featuring blue tiled stairs, rattan poufs, a slatwall panel fence for privacy, and a low-hanging cover for shade, this city oasis is the perfect place to spend a Sunday, whether you’re relaxing on a pizza-shaped floaty, reading a book on one of the couches, or unwinding with a cold one.
While this pool is relatively simple on its own, the detail that makes it so interesting is the building itself. Designed by Peled Studios, the rooftop features geometric, jagged walls, making you feel like you’re sitting in a Cubist painting.
Arete Culture turned the rooftop of this Singapore home into an urban oasis. Featuring a long infinity pool that spans almost the entire roof, the space has a zen-garden-like quality thanks to the rock moat surrounding the pool and contrasting colors.
This rooftop deck sits four stories above Chicago’s West Side and looks like the perfect summer oasis. Created by Chicago Roof Deck & Garden, the small pool is surrounded by everything you would ever need to host an amazing party, from the outdoor kitchen, to the chic, rectangular fire pit.
Soho House Berlin is a boutique hotel in the Mitte district that is open to both visitors and permanent residents. The rooftop lounge has a beautiful heated pool covered with jade-green tiles, giving it a luxurious and refined look.