Feature: From Zero to Infinity
July 1, 2007
Not long ago, every swimming pool seemed
to stretch clear to the horizon, with infinity pools all the rage at resorts and
residences alike. These still have their place, particularly when suited to a
spectacular waterfront setting, but waterscape designers are now also turning
their attention to the creative use of glass and ceramic tile for surfaces
and accents. And they are adding lighthearted elements that underline one reason
homeowners want pools in the first place: They are beautiful sanctuaries built
purely for fun.
Caribbean Dream
Some 600 feet above the
turquoise Caribbean, Jade Mountain’s two dozen suites have an open fourth-wall
panorama of the Pitons, St. Lucia’s signature peaks. These rooms also feature
their own infinity pools.
Reversible glass tiles
that change color in the light line the in-room infinity pools at St. Lucia’s
Jade Mountain. Top photograph by Macduff Everton. Bottom photograph by Leisure Works Images. (Click images to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
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Individually shaped, from 450 to 900 square feet in size, and
four-and-a-half-feet deep, the pools are covered inside and out in innovative
glass tiles that seem to dance with color, changing their hue depending upon
shifts in light or the viewer’s perspective. The four-by-four-inch reversible
tiles are the work of David Knox (of Lightstreams in Mountain View, Calif.), who
spent two decades as a laser and optical system designer and developer. For Jade
Mountain, part of the Anse Chastanet resort, he devised a formula for glass that
is textured and iridescent on one side and smooth and undulating on the other.
(The latter is used on the walls of each suite’s open shower.)
"I wanted a certain amount of light to pass through the glass
and a certain amount to reflect from its front, back and internal surfaces,"
Knox says, adding that he wanted those effects to occur in an unpredictable
manner. He produced 30 color choices, and Nick Troubetzkoy, the resort’s owner
and architect, ultimately chose 24—ranging from cobalt and ruby red to emerald,
bronze and deep purple.
Troubetzkoy, known for his penchant for tinkering with his
architectural plans, initially conceived Jade Mountain as six hillside villas
with four suites each. "What a flawed concept that was," he remembers. After
ground was broken, he stood on the site and said, "We can’t see the Pitons." To
maximize the view, his design evolved into a curved, four-story structure whose
height is balanced by low-slung bridges. Interiors—each suite ranges from 1,400
to 2,000 square feet—emphasize stone, wood and coral plaster. The Pitons seem to
hover just beyond each pool’s infinity edge.
"Working with Nick was a sculptural experience," says Knox. "He
works off images he holds in his mind, and doesn’t mind experimenting. He wanted
the glass to be a finish, not a tile."
The glass changes from lively and transparent in sunlight to
moody and opaque after dark, when fiber-optic lights illuminate the pools. Every
tile—250,000 pieces throughout the resort—is unique, Knox points out, containing
a billion points of reflection that rival the stars in St. Lucia’s night
sky.
David Knox, Lightstreams, 650.966.8375,
www.lightstreamsglasstile.com
Anse Chastanet, 800.223.1108,
www.ansechastanet.com
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