All is so quiet and
serene in this new sunlit indoor swimming pool that it’s almost a shame to discuss the
nitty-gritty of its construction. Retrofitted in an existing townhouse on
Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the room occupies a substantial part of the
building’s basement and extends under an outdoor courtyard. Pleasantville, N.Y.-based
builder and remodeler John Ginsbern used steel sheeting, braced across the
width of the building, to keep the neighbor’s yard from collapsing as he
excavated 17 feet below grade. Limited equipment access meant that all the digging
had to be done by hand. A room-width skylight illuminates the finished space,
supplemented by a scattering of LED wall fixtures that can be programmed to change
colors in rhythm with any musical selection. More project photos
Remodeling
You Built It
