No matter where you are in South Florida, a swimming pool is never far from view. Indeed, poolscapes as striking architectural statements have been integral to the region’s nostalgia and allure since the 1950s.
From Miami Beach’s theatrical and glamorous Fontainebleau and Eden Roc pool designs by architect Morris Lapidus, to real estate developer George Merrick’s vision for the grand 820,000-gallon Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, water has played a powerful role in creating the famed environment. The iconic Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, originally built in the 1950s, with a subsequent full renovation by Hirsch Bedner Associates as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, pays homage to its storied past but with a modern take on design.
Its swanky poolscape is a chic playground unto itself, with an infinity pool featuring a glass porthole bottom and two waterfalls that cascade into the 240-foot lagoon pool below. This is water recreation that’s impossible to resist and a reflection of the lightness of the landscape.
