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10 Modern Swimming Pools Making a Big Splash

We’re right in the middle of summer, which means pool parties, beach days, and backyard BBQs enjoyed with our favorite people. After being holed up all winter and for much of the past two years, escaping outside feels like a dream and we are soaking up every second of it. Whether you’re a toe dipper or a deep diver, making a splash and creating sun-soaked memories is where it’s at! For some visual enticement, we’re diving in to show you 10 really cool modern swimming pools we can’t get enough of!

07.11.22 | By
10 Modern Swimming Pools Making a Big Splash

Fernanda Marques Arquitetos Associados is behind this jaw-dropping design, where the client requested a swimming pool *inside* his apartment in Brazil. The glass-enclosed pool offers a focal point and lots of entertainment for those hanging out in the double-height living room.

looking down at an elevated swimming pool on a modern deck built over the ocean

Photo: © Dusit International

While leaning towards the minimalist side, this is a pool many of us dream about – a private retreat overlooking the crystal clear aquamarine water of the Maldives. With the added stairs leading down to the ocean, the Dusit Thani Maldives resort screams pure bliss.

backyard view of an elongated concrete pool that juts out from the earth with a glass panel at the end

Photo: Juan Solano

Located in Lima, Peru, this summer house, designed by V.Oid Architecture, makes the most of the yard’s steep incline. The mind-blowing pool, made of concrete walls that jut out from the earth, comes complete with a glass panel at the end for added drama.

backyard of modern house with side view of elongated swimming pool

Photo: Cristopher Nolasco

This Bel Air home, designed by Paul McClean, boasts city views of Westwood while being surrounded by thick vegetation, giving the feeling of privacy and peace. The back of the house is enclosed in glass offering views of the pool and surrounding landscape from every room. PS. The house was recently on the market for $41 million. Can you wrap your head around that?!

exterior backyard view of modern house with elevated modern pool

Photo: Oriol Tarrida

Located in Miami Beach, this villa by Doo Architecture features a sleek infinity swimming pool with a black stone perimeter that disappears. The back of the house opens up to the surrounding patio that flows right into the modern pool.

outside view of modern home with elongated pool that extends out from a covered patio

Photo: Jake Holt

Ravel Architecture designed this home in Austin, Texas with a full-size lap pool that bisects the house between the private and pubic spaces. Due to the challenging lot, the only way to accommodate the length of the pool was to build it into what normally would have been the interior of the home.

exterior of white concrete modern home with cantilevered pool hanging over it

Photo: Jan Bitter

Wiel Arets’ Jellyfish House includes a pretty unique swimming pool – a cantilevered, rooftop pool with a glass bottom. The blueness of the water contrasts the starkness of the white monolithic design of the house while creating a dreamy, ever-evolving show one can enjoy watching from an outdoor patio or from the kitchen inside.

outdoor view of modern home's backyard with pool overlooking city

Photo: Jeremy Bittermann and Roger Davies

This minimalist pool resides in the backyard of a mid-century modern home in Beverly Hills’ Trousdale Estates. Designed by Kovac Design Studio, this pool feels like an extension of the indoors with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that disappear, leading straight to the outdoor patio. The extended, cantilevered roof elevates the indoor/outdoor flow while framing views of Los Angeles.

exterior of modern house in Cape Town looking at dark blue swimming pool looking out to greenery

Photo: Adam Letch & Micky Hoyle

With sprawling views of Cape Town, South Africa, this house by SAOTA features an inverted pyramid roof to allow for clerestory windows that open up elevated sight lines. Spanning three floors, the home’s middle level extends our with a terrace and deep blue infinity pool that hangs amongst the lush greenery.

Back exterior view of mansion in Hamptons with glass exterior walls and massive pool

Photo: Barnes Coy Architecture

If you’d had a cool $45 million last year, you could have been the proud owner of this Barnes Coy oceanfront home in Wainscott, New York. The back of the home is outfitted with a 22-foot-high glass wall that provides panoramic views of the water. Just out from that is a massive outdoor space that includes an angular swimming pool with a Lautner edge. If the house looks familiar, it’s because it appeared in an episode of HBO’s Succession.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.