Extraordinary Pools

A visual feast of fifty wonderfully distinctive and architecturally astounding swimming pools from around the world

Extraordinary Pools is a mosaic of exceptional public and private examples of pools, reasserting the protean quality of the swimming pool as a space of activity, pleasure, and excess. Illustrated with awe-inspiring color photography, it showcases stunning examples of architecturally significant swimming pools around the world, including:

• Berthold Lubetkin's modernist Penguin Pool at the London Zoo
• The world's largest infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
• The landmark Julia Morgan-designed City Club pool in Berkeley, California
• Luis Barragan's signature L-shaped pools at Cuadra San Cristobal in Mexico
• And many more

Woven throughout are essays by swimmers and architectural experts on the role swimming pools have played in shaping modern culture, from the 1932 Olympics and Mussolini's campaign to redefine the new Italian Fascist as physically fit, disciplined, and virile to the dawn of circular backyard pools in California that became playgrounds for skateboarders during the great drought of the 1970s. With its lush imagery and lively discussion, Extraordinary Pools will dazzle recreationists and architecture enthusiasts alike.

STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHY: Illustrated with full-color images throughout, Extraordinary Pools is an aspirational, covetable volume befitting any design lover's coffee table display.

ENDLESSLY FASCINATING: Swimming pools are status symbols and objects of interest regardless of climate or season. Whether they are used for athletic pursuits or the simple joy of relaxing in water, found indoors or out, are kidney-shaped or Olympic-sized, pools are an enthralling source of visual and aesthetic pleasure.

EXPERIENCED AUTHOR: Naina Gupta, a practicing architect who teaches at the Architectural Association of the School of Architecture in London, turns her trained eye on a dazzling array of pools to explore their visual impact and cultural significance.

Perfect for:

• Swimmers, beach lovers, and pool enthusiasts
• Collectors of architecture, design, and home décor books
• Host/hostess or housewarming gift
• Architectural history buffs
• Photography fans and armchair travelers

Author: Naina Gupta
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Published: 05/13/2025
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.50lbs
Size: 11.20h x 8.90w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781797231297


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2025

About the Author
Naina Gupta is an architect with degrees from Bangalore University and the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. She is a registered architect in India and has a decade of experience working in architectural practices. She teaches at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.