For Architectural Digest, by Nick Mafi.
It’s true — many enjoy using outdoor swimming pools to exercise, spend time with friends or family, and work on their tans. And while the winter months may not be conducive for swimmers, or their tans, an easy alternative exists: indoor swimming pools. What some of these closed pools lack in natural outdoor gratification, they certainly make up for with stunning interiors. From Budapest to Berlin, AD surveys 16 of the world’s most dazzlingly fashioned indoor swimming pools.
In the heart of one of Marrakech's most historic neighborhoods is the La Sultana Hotel, where guests are treated to one of the world's most spectacular indoor swimming pools. Lined in marble and lit by iron lanterns, this pool is quite the boutique oasis.
If you're visiting Shanghai, a trip to the Four Seasons hotel is a must. Perched high in the sky, guests will enjoy jaw-dropping views of the city's downtown, while relaxing in the hotel's infinity pool.
Many of Hollywood's brightest stars swam at Hearst Castle’s indoor pool in San Simeon, California. The majestically tiled pool is surrounded by eight statues of Roman gods, goddesses, and heroes.
Bramley Baths, a historic pool in Leeds, England. First opened in 1904, the building, which still features its original brickwork, was once a factory for producing metal castings.
Although it's not the geographical center of Mexico City, the Cuauhtémoc district–where the St. Regis Hotel is situated–is the oldest part of the city and cultural center of the metropolis. Guests of the hotel will be able to relax in a magnificent 100-square-foot indoor pool that overlooks the city and the mountains outside of the Mexican capital.
Situated within a former Soviet military air base in Krausnick, Germany, is the Tropical Islands indoor swimming pool. Opened in 2004, the facility is large enough to encase the Statue of Liberty, lying down.
The Gellert Baths, in Budapest, Hungary, feature a 2,650-square-foot indoor swimming pool. Since 1918 the waters at the Gellert Baths have been been a destination throughout the winter months.
Built in 1902, the First Class Pool at the Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre in Birmingham, England, retains its Victorian charm, while maintaining a modern edge with its top-of-the-line sports facilities.
The indoor swimming pool at the Sheraton Hotel in Krakow, Poland, is closed off by a marvelous glass atrium.
Devised by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Zaha Hadid, The Aquatics Center in London was made for the 2012 summer Olympics.
The Amalienbad pools in Vienna are designed in an Art Nouveau style of architecture. Built in the 1920s by Austrian architects Otto Nadel and Karl Schmalhofer, the building was damaged during World War II but later repaired.
The Four Seasons Spa, in Hampshire, England, features a 66-foot-long indoor swimming pool that can open to the property’s outdoor pool as well.
Built in 1913, the Szechenyi Baths is a much-visited attraction in Budapest, Hungary. Around the neo-Baroque exteriors is a series of magnificent outdoor pools. Yet the winter months will see many locals head to the indoor pools, which are equally, if not more, lovely.
Situated in the French Alps is Aquamotion Courchevel, a charming alpine aquatic center. Designed by the German firm Auer Weber, the facilities opened in January 2016.
With an all-glass ceiling, the luxurious Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, France, features a sunlit indoor pool.
Berlin’s Neukoelln indoor pool allows users to take a dip in a different era of German architecture. Architect Reinhold Kiehl crafted Neukoelln in 1914, complementing it with vaulted roofs, many mosaics, and colonnades.
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