Explore 10 of the World’s Most Spectacular Pools

The cover of Splash! Art of the Swimming Pool.  Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

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 Splash: The Art of the Swimming Pool (Rizzoli, $55), 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, elaborate oases that are guaranteed to transport you to a summery state of mind. 

See below for ten of the standout pools included in the book.

Decorator Martyn Lawrence Bullard redesigned this Palm Springs pool expressly for entertaining. He added an outdoor bar in the garden, as well as a bar pit and in-pool stools for swim-up cocktails. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

The 1930s Paley House pool, which was part of an estate designed by architect Paul Williams, has an intricately detailed mosaic representing the 12 signs of the zodiac, which was created to accompany the main house by landscapist Edward Huntsman-Trout. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

Artist Jorge Pardo designed this long lap pool in his narrow Mérida, Mexico, courtyard. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

This terrace pool has high-level views of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

This sublimely elegant infinity pool in Careyes, Mexico, was designed by Gian Franco Brignone. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

The Morrison-Strassner circular poolhouse 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

The style of the 1962 George Randolph Hearst pool in Palm Springs was influenced by the Neptune Pool at his father’s legendary estate, San Simeon, and even includes statues gifted from San Simeon. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

The iconic Stahl House has one of the most celebrated modern pools in Los Angeles. Designed by architect Pierre Koenig in 1960, it is known as Case Study House 22. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House is one of Palm Springs’ most iconic residences. The pool is centered in the garden with views of the house. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

The indoor pool echoes the architecture in this futuristic house in Palm Springs, California, designed by architect John Lautner. Photo: Tim Street-Porter, courtesy of Rizzoli

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2019 Summer issue in the section The Artful Life. Subscribe to the magazine.