On the roof of an apartment house in the middle of Zürich there is a secluded garden with a swimming pool. The chrome steel pool with perimeter overflow is positioned so that the water surface appears to merge with the roofscape beyond and to flow over one side of the pool, where there is no railing. From a wooden deck made of native larch that borders the pool there are spectacular views across the city. This project won second prize in the Pool Vision Award 2014.

Dachlandschaft mit Swimmingpool, Zürich, Fischer Architekten AG Zürich

Architecturally typical of the 1980s, this striking apartment house is in a densely built residential district in Zurich’s Kreis 3. The planted balconies and terraces that are stacked above each other on the upper floors of the building offer private outdoor spaces. The redesign of the roofscape includes the secluded garden made by the owner and the swimming pool that goes with it.

On all sides of the new, precisely positioned chrome steel pool there is a perimeter overflow so that the surface of the water continues the plane of the larch deck to the outer edge of terrace. The water seems to flow towards the roofs beyond – a unique experience for swimmers here, who are above the city and yet at its centre. Those relaxing on a sun lounger can enjoy spectacular views across the rooftops, too. At night the unique mood can even be heightened by the two LEDs fitted underwater.

A path flanked by luxuriant planting leads around the pool that rests on the insulated flat roof slab. The pool is equipped with a slatted cover and a heat pump to keep the water warm for five to six months of the year.