Category: Spectacular Pools

Once upon a time this pool hall in Witney, Oxfordshire, housed a 10m by 5m pool before it was boarded over by a retired train engineer to house his £100,000 train set. The house has been sold again and, wishing to resurrect the old pool hall, the current owner called in the services of Gloucestershire pool builder, New Dawn Pools, who produced this stunning result.

Accountant, Angela Caiger, bought the house last year with the express aim to unearth and expose the old indoor pool. New Dawn Pools reduced the size of the pool to 6m x 4.5m and built two walls on top of the pool shell to divide the building up to create a small annex for guests, consisting of a kitchen/lounge, bedroom and bathroom plus a second bathroom in the pool hall area.

The pool hall’s most striking feature is the wall mural depicting a picture that Angela took last year on holiday in the Seychelles. This was lovingly reproduced on tiles and it was the job of New Dawn Pools to fix all 957 of them! The pool features five mini Certikin LED lights, stainless steel fittings, a Vision filter, Starite pump, Calorex Variheat, a white slatted Roldeck cover and a Fastlane counter current unit.

The Fastlane for va-va-voom!
Ideal for small pools, the Fastlane, when it’s at full tilt, has been described as being akin to ‘swimming up river in a flood. It’s incredible!’
Easily installed, this fit-anywhere counter current unit lets you swim for as long as you like without turning. Adjust the Fastlane to your pace and enjoy swimming in an even, river-like current. Simple hydraulics means that no electricity is required poolside – simply roll the Fastlane across the pool deck and drop it into the water.  Or with a new pool you can build it into the pool wall as seen here where the Fastlane was cleverly built into the wall giving a sleek and modern finish.

It’s suitable for almost any pool – free form or rectangular; gunite, vinyl or fibreglass; new construction or retrofit. Swimmers love the adjustable speed swim current and children love it because it’s pure fun!

Polly Nicholson, the owner of this stunning pool, knows a thing or two about gardens and landscape design being the highly respected flower grower and proprietor of Bayntun Flowers. So it’s little wonder that the pool in Blackland, at the foot of the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire, blends so comfortably into its surroundings. Installed by Gloucestershire pool builder, New Dawn Pools, it is brimming with Certikin equipment, from its Roldeck cover down to its Pacelite finish.

Like the ceremonial smashing of a bottle of champagne over the bow of a new ship, the inaugural swim in a newly built pool is a ‘christening’ and a memorable celebration. For the Nicholson family that moment came on Christmas Eve 2015 when the pool, which began construction in April, was given its final touches. The four Nicholson children declared it the best Christmas present ever!

Installer, Richard Adams of New Dawn Pools says: “Polly project managed the whole garden project under the design and guidance of Arne Maynard Garden Designs, London. Polly, understandably, has exacting standards and a high level of perfection but the project was, in addition, challenging with a brook running through the property causing severe water table problems.”

The stunning 15m x 7m pool set in natural Portland stone has a varying depth of 1.4m to 2.6m and features a Roldeck in cave cover with new polycarbonate solar slats and a safety ledge. Adding to the sense of luxury, stainless steel fittings are featured throughout, including ten Certikin stainless steel mini LED lights. The pool, which has a Midnight Sky Pacelite internal finish, also features Certikin deep bed filtration and ozone sterilization.

The pool is heated with a Certikin 50kw Genie gas boiler. In addition, a 35kw Genie dual partly heats the pool water as well as under floor heating, showers, and hot water in the changing rooms. Richard adds: “An efficient and economical method of heating is essential as the pool is in operation 52 weeks of the year.”

 

Making waves on the Manchester hotel scene is the King Street Townhouse. Owned by the Eclectic Hotel group and opened just this year, it has been shortlisted for the Greater Manchester Building of the Year award and made the Conde Nast 2016 hot list for best hotels in the world. Helping the hotel achieve such accolades is the City’s first rooftop infinity spa-pool, installed by Cheshire pool specialists Swimlife UK Ltd, which overlooks the clock tower and spires of the Manchester Town Hall.

Set in a Grade II listed, Italian Renaissance-style building dating from 1872, the jewel in the crown of this upscale hotel is the beautiful infinity spa-pool. Sited seven floors atop the building, it boasts floor to ceiling windows offering hotel residents uninterrupted views of the Manchester city skyline. Owners, Eclectic Hotels said their intention was to respectfully expand on the allure and unique qualities of this historic building and wow they have certainly achieved it!

Eamonn O’Loughlin, owner of Eclectic Hotels, said: “In today’s work-centred world, people value their free time more than anything, therefore it was imperative we provided our guests with a soothing haven of serenity, relaxation and tranquil surroundings, a world away from the busy life below. We are proud to say the new rooftop spa does just that.”

Gary Seddon, MD of the installing company, Warrington based Swimlife, says “We have been dealing with Certikin for over 25 years. In my professional opinion, Certikin is at the frontline of technical support, prompt service and the delivery of premium quality goods. We have come to rely on the company’s  filters, pumps and chemical dosing units because they are the very best and we wouldn’t look anywhere else. Furthermore, Certikin provides an excellent after sales service in the commissioning of dosing equipment following installation by our engineers.”

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 by 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 in 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.

 

The triangulated cross-laminated roof trusses in wood that can be seen in the picture make up this spectacular space designed by the London-based practice, Duggan Morris Architects, as part of the refurbishment of the swimming pool in the 1980 building, Alfriston School in Buckinghamshire.

The swimming area forms part of a complex made up of gyms, changing rooms and offices. Thanks to its shape, the persistent reverberations common to this type of complex go unheard. The final result blends in with the typical buildings with sloped roofs in the surrounding area. Respect for the local architecture, the efficient use of building materials and the beautiful composition define this intervention, which was the result of a restricted call for tender in 2008.

Each of the triangles, the largest of which is 12 x 6 meters, were built off site and then simply assembled over the pool using bespoke invisible steel plates with plugged bolts, all of which has resulted in this impeccable showpiece. The use of prefabricated modules is one of the most efficient ways of approaching construction projects and, in this case, the end result paid off as this was one of the 30 British architecture and furniture projects shortlisted for the Wood Awards 2014.

A continuous horizontal line one metre in height is the only source of natural light in the building, which means that only the bottom half of the people walking in it can be seen. While swimmers practise their swimming techniques in this pleasant building, they are able to look outside onto a landscape that combines water and trees, which afford sufficient privacy from the surrounding neighbourhood.

This academy school teaches 120 girls with moderate learning difficulties. The pool was designed following an ongoing collaboration between the architects, the school’s management’ team, members of the parents’ association, local town authorities and the pupils.