The Red Pool at The Library
Koh Samui, Thailand
The Red Pool is the visual centre of The Library, a design hotel on Koh Samui's Chaweng Beach. Its saturated colour creates a striking contrast with the pale sand and sea beyond, giving the pool terrace a character quite different from the island's more conventional beachfront settings. The composition is deliberately simple, allowing colour, water and the horizon to carry much of the experience. Swimming here is closely connected to the hotel's wider idea of time spent reading and slowing down. The Lib, its library space, looks towards both the sea and the Red Pool and holds a substantial collection of books. Minimalist surroundings make it easy to move between a swim, a chair and a few pages, with the beach immediately adding another setting for the same unhurried rhythm. The hotel also has a separate Long Pool for more regular laps, which gives the Red Pool its own role as a distinctive social and visual focus. Dining, spa and massage services, and a fitness room complement time beside the water. Its location on Chaweng places this carefully composed retreat within reach of one of Samui's active beach districts.