Miami studio Oppenheim Architecture has designed this hotel in Rio de Janeiro so that guests can overlook the city's famous Copacabana Beach while bathing in a rooftop swimming pool.

Oppenheim Architecture's aim for the Emiliano Hotel was to create a "calm oasis of luxury within the vibrant energy" of the surrounding Copacabana neighbourhood and the lively promenade it fronts, which is home to copious restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

To make the most of beach views, while still maintaining the guests' privacy, the studio covered the front of the building with white shutters that are punctured with lozenge-shaped holes.

When opened up entirely, the hinged screens reveal the balconies and large windows of the suites behind, while closing the panels creates a homogenous front that provides shade from the strong Brazilian sun. "Trying to create a neutral presence on the architecturally cacophonous boulevard, the facade is covered in operable screens that protect from the tropical sun, allowing for custom modulation of space, climate, and privacy," said Oppenheim Architecture.

The hotel's crowning feature is the slender pool with a glazed side, which runs along the top of the building and allows swimmers to look out at the view from underwater. A restaurant behind the pool opens out onto a deck, furnished by sunbathing beds and large umbrellas.
"A rooftop pool with glass edge provides the sensation of floating in the sky above one of the most beauti...