features
Swimming pools: Water features
There’s a certain monotony to swimming pool design, with these areas often uninspiring and unimaginative – not to mention all but identical from club to club. But this needn’t be the case. We showcase some eye-catching pools from health clubs and fitness facilities around the world
South Kensington Club
London, UK
Originally a social club founded by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood for London’s high society, this club was recently redesigned by the HKS Hospitality Group as a family-friendly centre focused around health and wellness.
The interiors of the main club are designed to evoke a narrative of exploration and travel. Dark lava stone tiles form the floor of a swimming pool, which is filled with seawater transported from the shores of Sicily.
There’s also a spa and wellness facilities, including Russian banyas, a Turkish hamman, a Watsu aquatic therapy pool and a 25,000sq ft health club.
Equinox
Westlake Village, California, US
“For a long time, health clubs have been functional only. I approach things from a different angle,” says Aaron Richter, VP of health club design for Equinox.
“I don’t try to compete with other health clubs from a design point of view. Instead I try and compete with the wider leisure industry – with restaurants, hotels and retail – and also with the homes people live in. I think we need to be on a par with those types of facilities to succeed and build our brand and reputation.”
Bulgari Hotel
London, UK
At the heart of the Bulgari Spa experience is a beautiful private pool complex: a 25-metre colonnaded swimming pool with loungers and cabanas, clad in the textured Vicenza stone that’s long been the signature of great Italian architecture.
Aspria Uhlenhorst
Hamburg, Germany
Aspria Uhlenhorst was the result of a €25m redevelopment of the 100-year-old Klipper club in Hamburg, Germany. The offering today encompasses hotel, gym, pool and spa, and in spite of its impressive size feels almost ‘aspirational home’ in design.
There’s a huge spa area that spills out into the gardens, including a spa pool that begins indoors, with a swim-through to an outdoor, infinity-edged section.
Five different styles and temperatures of sauna are on offer, plus a steamroom. Facilities also include experience showers, footbaths, ice fountain and a number of different relaxation areas.
Piscine du Fort
Paris, France
The philosophy of feng shui has provided the inspiration for a pool, sports and wellbeing centre designed by French architecture practice Mikou Studio in collaboration with Feng Shui specialist Laurence Dujardin.
Located in the suburbs of Paris, design features are carefully positioned to create a sense of calm and relaxation.
The Third Space
London Bridge, London, UK
This club in Tower Bridge once operating under the 37degrees brand, but since rebranded as The Third Space following its acquisition by Encore – was relaunched earlier this year following a £3.5m refurb. But one element that’s retained its place in the club is its pool area – a dramatic black pool, surrounded by polished concrete and glowing green glass, which is “a world away from tiles and chlorine”.
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