A Nymphaeum in Newport

The exterior of the library/nymphaeum recently completed on the grounds of Newport, Rhode Island’s Bellevue House features such Federal-era details as the demilune and bay windows and the ornamented pediment. The lap pool leads toward the library, and there are cabanas on the right.

Hand-waxed pine shelves and millwork were designed to create a library evocative of an English Country estate; the urn-shaped details on the custom bronze balcony railing and the sunburst window above the fireplace recall the period style of Bellevue House.

Adamesque elements in the bay window alcove off the library include the oak-and-mahogany floor and the ceiling ornamentation. The period English Sheraton chairs and English Regency rosewood table invite reading by natural light.

Seashells line the back wall of the spa area, creating a grotto effect enhanced by a waterfall, stalactite chandelier, and illuminated artwork in a chamber reached by swimming under the waterfall.

Artist Christa Wilm made seashell mosaics on netting to create the intricate design on the grotto walls

On the building’s lower level, a vaulted marble room includes a raised stage ideal for performances by the homeowner’s young grandchildren.

When bathers swim under the waterfall that splashes into the marble spa in Bellevue House’s library-slash-nymphaeum,they enter a shallow-water chamber perfectly sized for two nymphlike swimmers to recline, illuminated by an aquatic-themed plexiglass artwork. Climb through folding glass doors above the waterline, and you’re in a steam shower. It’s a little like being let in on a fantastic secret, as if a nymphaeum in the newest garden building on the grounds of a historic, privately owned 1910 Colonial Revival in Newport, Rhode Island, isn’t already fantastical enough.

Architect JP Couture, builder Glenn Parker, and numerous artisans collaborated to realize homeowner Ron Fleming’s vision: a library of 6,000 books arranged on hand-waxed pine shelves nestled within the same Adamesque garden building as a marble nymphaeum, a type of room, historically featuring a fountain and used for relaxation, that dates back to Roman times.

“Nymphaeums are the most compelling and eccentric places, an old idea from ancient Rome and Greece that I have known about since I was a boy,” says Fleming, a town planner, preservationist, and author. “I built this library/nymphaeum as a retreat. I could actually live there!”

Indeed, the 1,500-square-foot library includes not only two levels of books—the upper level graced by a custom-made bronze handrail—but also a closet, kitchen niche, bathroom, and shower room; a leather sofa converts into a bed. “Imagine building all that for a Kindle,” Couture wryly notes.

If the library inspires solitude and soulful contemplation, the nymphaeum below embraces creative expression and aquatic delights. Vaulted plaster ceilings give the underground space a sense of volume, while marble floors and walls evoke luxury. Off to one side, Fleming’s three grandchildren give performances on a built-in stage. A grotto that artist Christa Wilm covered with thousands of seashells cradles the spa, which is big enough for six bathers, and waterfall.

For all the ancient and natural themes, the library/nymphaeum’s HVAC system is pure modern technology. “It’s unique to have a humid environment like the nymphaeum in the same structure as thousands of books,” says builder Glenn Parker. To ensure the right climate for both, the HVAC is a mix of hydronic and radiant systems working off geothermal heat pumps.

“It was an amazing project,” says Parker. “I’m fairly certain I will never do another like it.”

Project Team
Architecture and interior design: JP Couture, JP Couture, Architect
Builder: Glenn Parker, Parker Construction