The Morrison-Strassner circular pool house adds an element of fantasy in Palm Springs and relates to the circular shapes of the main building.
Photo: TIM STREET-PORTER, COURTESY OF RIZZOLI
5 Pool Books Reveal the World’s Most Picturesque Places to Soak a Day Away
Seeking an aquatic escape? Look no further than these blissful tomes
In the quarantine age, pools have become a hot commodity for homeowners seeking a safe place for relaxation and respite. In fact, The New York Times recently reported that such outdoor oases (along with trampolines) were among the first “panic buys” during the pandemic, leading to a supply crunch. So if you have indeed been wait-listed—or if you just want to make summer last a little bit longer—Galerie has rounded up five essential books that showcase the most glamorous pools around the world. And if you already have a swimming hole of your own, these picks will make you want to dive right in.
Photo: Rizzoli
1. POOLS: Lounging, Diving, Floating, Dreaming
Leisure lovers will delight in this lush (and waterproof!) volume created by design studio B.A.M. and Lou Stoppard, a London-based writer and curator. Inside you’ll find striking photography by the likes of Helmut Newton, Stephen Shore, and Louise Dahl-Wolfe that captures how pools relate to creative fields like fashion, art, and architecture. Rizzoli, $85
Photo: Batsford
2. Pool: A Dip into Outdoor Swimming Pools
In journalist Christopher Beanland’s graphic celebration of summertime bliss, readers can immerse themselves in incredible feats of engineering like a nearly 450-foot-long saltwater pool in Vancouver and a German coal mine transformed into an aquatic oasis. Batsford, $26
Photo: Abrams
3. Poolside with Slim Aarons
Jet-setting photographer Slim Aarons traveled the world capturing the leisure-filled lives of the rich and famous from the 1950s to the ’80s. Some of his favorite subjects—C. Z. Guest, Lilly Pulitzer, and Peter Beard among them—are featured in this visual feast of outdoor pools, which takes readers on a voyage inside private escapes from the Caribbean to Monaco. Abrams, $85
Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli
4. Splash: The Art of the Swimming Pool
What if you could distill the essence of a perfect summer day? That’s exactly what husband-and-wife duo Tim Street-Porter and Annie Kelly have done with this book, which brims with more than 200 of the world’s most picturesque places to soak a day away. The couple spent years documenting these glamorous havens, from architectural wonders by Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra to the dramatic beachside infinity pool at Tommy Hilfiger’s Mustique hideaway. Perhaps best of all is a section devoted to so-called fantasy pools, which are guaranteed to transport you to a summery state of mind. Rizzoli, $55
Photo: Images Publishing
5. Pools: Design and Form with Water
Respected travel photographer Miquel Tres assembled a veritable wellspring of ideas for design lovers with this blissful compilation of dazzling swimming pools across the globe. In addition to showcasing eco-friendly examples that utilize local materials and are free of chemicals, the book provides site plans that offer insight on how to integrate pools into landscapes. Images Publishing, $45
Cover: The Morrison-Strassner circular pool house adds an element of fantasy in Palm Springs and relates to the circular shapes of the main building.
Photo: TIM STREET-PORTER, COURTESY OF RIZZOLI
