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" Who wouldn&amp;#039;t want a swimming pool? An escape from the heat, a backyard vacation, a catalyst for summer soir\u00E9es--even a glorified puddle would keep us happy! Or so we thought, but after seeing these 12 to-die-for pool designs, our standards may never be the same.  (Above) The Modern Water Park This industrial chic waterfall adds more drama to this modern landscape than a mini-Niagara ever could. Shooting from the roof, this detail fuses the Santa Barbara home to its outdoor space. Photographer: Jim Bartsch. Credit: Courtesy of ORO Editions    The Aquarium Pool This pool may stop at 25 meters but the view through the glass barrier extends into 13 acres of forest (caution: watch your head). For added illusion, the ceiling has a stainless steel band, cut to the width of the pool. It captures the water&amp;#039;s reflection and gives the effect of submersion whether above or under water. Photographer: Nic Lehoux. Credit: Courtesy of Collins Design  The Galaxy Pool Swimming under the stars sounds sumptuous but swimming amongst the stars . . . heavenly. To get the effect of the deep dark sky in a 900-square-foot pool, designer Ron Gibbons custom-blended marble-dust aggregate and three blue hues of colored crystal aggregate into the pool basin&amp;#039;s finish. And for the twinkle of the stars, he installed more than 2,200 fiber-optic lights. Photographer: Carl Saporitti from Poolscaping. Credit: Courtesy of Storey Publishing  Quatrefoil Pool Rectangular pools are so pedestrian but an elongated quatrefoil? Now we&amp;#039;re talking. This ornate shape was only fitting for an extraordinary Pacific Palisades villa. Photographer: Michael Kalla. Credit: Courtesy of ORO Editions  The Buoyant Home The only thing this minimalist living room is missing is the diving board. By connecting the main pool with another shallow one that surrounds most of the home, a true floating effect is achieved. The edge of the latter follows the slope of the site and allows the water to overflow. The reflection of the residence in the pool accentuates this effect of infinity, which also enhances the open views of the Pacific off this Costa Rican shore. Photographer: Jordi Miralles from Pools: Design Source. Credit: Courtesy of Collins Design and Loft Publications  The Ultimate Shoreline No matter the weather, these residents of Recife, Brazil, can enjoy the curve of the coastline without the brunt of the beach. Designed as if it were an extension of the sand and water, the pool is partly covered by a porch built from bamboo, logs and straw, which are typical materials from the tropical area where the residence is located. Photographer: Tuca Reines from Pools: Design Source. Credit: Courtesy of Collins Design and Loft Publications  Ocean Pool This residence (to be completed in 2010) near Abu Dhabi will have a garden spa pool, infinity pool, and indoor reflecting pools, but to hover over the world&amp;#039;s largest salt-water pool\u2014that&amp;#039;s impressive. Photographer: Screampoint Rendering and Dror. Credit: Courtesy of Dror  The Conservatory Pool New Jersey may not be known for its tropical qualities, but it didn&amp;#039;t stop this Franklin Lakes family from getting a beachlike escape. Skylights and mostly glass walls bring in the sunshine but keep out the cold. Photographer: Bradley Olman. Credit: Courtesy of Marson Pools  The Hollywood Mirage A glowing neoclassical mansion&amp;#039;s double limestone staircases leads down to a bursting fountain that spills into a pool that shoots archways of water down around its perimeter\u2014this has got to be out a movie! It&amp;#039;s an actual home but it&amp;#039;s not a shock that a former MGM studio chairman lives in this Los Angeles fairytale. Photographer: Erhard Pfeiffer. Credit: Courtesy of ORO Editions  Small Space Oasis The confines of this cliff-side backyard could never allow a huge pool but there is always room for infinity. The homeowners worked around the stunted space by building a flat area and retaining wall at the edge of their yard to create an swimming hole that fits with their landscape. The round design blends with the natural setting and balances the hard edges of the stone surround; it helps the rim to vanish into the woods.  Lakelike Pool Like an Alpine lake there is nothing flashy about this design\u2014just a perfect harmony with its surroundings. Adapted to the profile of this Rio de Janeiro mountain, the pool has a drainage system that allows the water to be kept flush to the floor, creating a sensation of infinity. Photographer: Tuca Reines from Pools: Design Source. Credit: Courtesy of Collins Design and Loft Publications  The Indoor/Outdoor Pool Sure a heated indoor pool is fabulous in the winter months but a bit of a drag on sunny days. This is a complaint for few, but for those with the dough, why compromise? This indoor-outdoor pit is fitted with a glass transom framed in African mahogany that pulls down like a garage door, bisecting the pool and closing it off from the elements when necessary. Man-made streams, ponds, and waterfalls also trickle in and around the home. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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