North Shore Towers Courier n July 2016 13 indoor pool’s retained in structural integrity over the past four decades, she lacks in aestheticism. Despite a length of large glass windows that run along two sides of the pool from floor to the base of the dome, the room is dank and cavernous with long stretches of exposed dark-red brick along the remaining walls and low-lying bulwark surrounding the hot tub, the deconstruction feel of which may be all the rage for a loft in SoHo, but in the context of NST’s indoor pool, create a somber and dark ambience. The ribs of the vaulted dome are a deep burnt sienna, which may be regarded as rich and stylish for a bedroom set, but only serve to increase the weight of the massive ribs, creating a heavy, closed-in feeling, which belies the very essence of a vaulted ceiling, that is to exalt and ascend, as if to the heavens. Handling the challenge of modernizing the forty-year-old pool area is Beth Donner and her talented crew at Beth Donner Design Inc. No stranger to North Shore Towers, Donner spearheaded the renovation of the building lobbies several years ago and most recently provided the vision for the new Towers Restaurant, which suffered similar problems with lighting and somber ambiance. Heeding Goldstein’s and the GAP Committee’s wishes and visions for the renovation, Donner and her team came up with two designs, which they presented to the Committee, including renderings, color charts, and swatches and samples of the proposed materials for each. One course of action was selected and in turn shown to the Board of Directors for approval before contracting bids for the work. The plain off-white painted concrete block back wall, which runs from the pool’s Country Club entrance along the bank of lockers to the room, featuring the Ping-Pong table and outside pool egress, will receive a great amount of attention. Deep teal gray wallpaper with wavy silver filigree pattern will lend some sparkle and funky multi-colored carpeting of blues and greens will further lighten the mood. The fat square beams opposite will shimmer with metallic paint. The low darkbrick rampart that fronts this entryway gets brightened with wood plank porcelain tile, topped with white marble. The drab slate-gray lockers will be removed. All the round support columns within the pool area will be clad from floor-to-ceiling with mosaic tile of clear and opaque white, interspersed with flashes of metallic gold, silver and copper. Moving along, the wall perpendicular to this low wall, in front of which stand bins of flotation devices and aquatic exercise equipment, will be covered with a wavy three-dimensional glass tile, backed with aquamarine to simulate ocean waves as the lights shimmers off it. The same treatment will be featured on the wall behind the hot tub. Any other brick surface that is not clad as described above will get a light white-washing. The brick will show through in spots, but the effect will give these areas a lighter feel. One major exception will be the redesign of the bulwark, surrounding the hot tub. Presently, the brick clad structure raises two major safety concerns, which will be addressed with the facelift: (1) Anyone using the Jacuzzi is unable to see the pool and rest of the room; and (2) the lifeguard cannot see people in the hot tub. Thus, the bulwark will be replaced with a stainless-steel railway with roped inserts, a solution that will also be used in place of the “barnyard” gate at the entrance to the pool area. Finally, any decision regarding the vaulted ceiling have been tabled until next summer, when a decision will be made and any work will be conducted. The ceiling offers perhaps the greatest diffi culty in the execution of any renovation. In order to do anything, the pool must fi rst be drained; then a safe scaffolding system must be constructed over the pool in order to proceed (Think of the scaffolding in the 1965 Charleton Heston/Rex Harrison biopic of Michelangelo, “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” albeit a fraction of the height). One of the possible solutions to the vaulted ceiling is to create a painted ombré effect—a gradation of color—from deep teal to pale blue on the ribs, accentuating the sense of ascension indicative of this architectural aspect’s nature. But if the other aspects of the refurbishment and upgraded lighting prove as successful as anticipated. There may be no need to expend the additional costs and inconvenience of transforming the vaulted ceiling. According to Carmiciano, “all the elements of the proposed interior upgrade were selected for their long-term resilience, considering the elements and environment of the natatorium.” Work is slated to begin this summer and Goldstein could not effuse enough about the hours and quality of attention put in by all involved. “Nearly everyone was fully engaged in every aspect of the pool facelift,” she said. Carmiciano summed up his feelings with equal enthusiasm. “Once all aspects are completed—the interior finishes, dome painting and relighting—we will have an up-to-date and great looking pool that all the shareholders of NST will be proud of.” Photos by Stephen Vrattos Rendering of dome treatment New wallpaper and carpeting, brighter paint and wood-plank porcelain tiles, locker removal and replacement gates are all part of the renovation Despite its height and expanse, dark brown ribs of vault weigh down ceiling
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