Hasta La Ideas

Portuguese architect João Mendes Ribeiro clad this swimming pool pavilion with mirrored panels so it disappears into the surrounding orchard (+ slideshow).

João Mendes Ribeiro added the pool and pavilion in the grounds of a countryside property in central Portugal without disturbing the garden too much.

“The swimming pool was settled in a way that would allow to avoid changes on the terrain morphology and not to interfere with the existing vegetation, keeping the orchard’s character almost untouched and favouring the landscape scenic atmosphere,” said the architect.

Polished stainless steel sheets cover the small building at one end of the pool, which houses a pantry, toilet, shower and small storage room arranged in a row.

These mirrors reflect the landscape around the pool so from some angles the building is camouflaged amongst the trees.

The small rooms within the structure are entered through panels that swing open on both sides of the building. Its thin roof overhangs to provide poolside shade.

The pool sits to one side of a granite platform that’s level with the ground at the pavilion end but is accessed by stairs at the other to compensate for the gently sloping site.

A single set of steps leads into the water from a corner by the pavilion.

João Mendes Ribeiro has also converted the former house of a Portuguese poet into a writer’s retreat. Our latest story from Portugal is a collection of farm buildings revamped into a minimal family home.

We recently featured aerial photos that reveal the angular geometries of a rooftop swimming pool in Bangkok and have previously posted a plunge pool at a Stockholm house that looks like an aquarium.

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Here’s some text from the architect:

Swimming Pool in Chamusca da Beira

The swimming pool in Chamusca da Beira is located in a rural property whose landscape is characterised by the presence of large and small scale trees, in an orchard area with ornamental and fruit trees.

The swimming pool was settled in a way that would allow to avoid changes on the terrain morphology and not to interfere with the existing vegetation, keeping the orchard’s character almost untouched and favouring the landscape scenic atmosphere.

The swimming pool is surrounded by a granite stone platform where, in one of its extremities, relies the volume containing the swimming pool dependencies (one pantry, one toilet, one shower and a small storage room). This volume is coated with polished stainless steel sheets that, by being highly reflective, allow the camouflage of the volume on its surroundings, dematerialising its presence and visually extending the landscape.

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by João Mendes Ribeiro appeared first on Dezeen.