The world's first floating pool has opened
Suspended 115 feet in the air, the world's first floating pool is open for swimming in the water-filled, transparent Sky Pool, which connects two London apartment towers. Anyone who thinks Londoners are playing it safe will be proved wrong on 19 May when the pool, more than 100 feet in the air, opens to residents of the Embassy Gardens apartments.
The 82-foot-long, heated Embassy Gardens oasis, which spans two flat roofs of the five-star hotel-like Legacy buildings, is the world's largest load-bearing acrylic structure. Built in Colorado, transported to Texas and then shipped across the Atlantic on a three-week journey, the structure is completely transparent and looks like a rectangular glass box floating in mid-air. And part of it, a full 46 feet, does float.
But on a particularly warm summer's afternoon almost a decade ago, the creative minds at Ballymore realised that the Embassy Gardens, which back onto the River Thames, were missing something important: an outdoor swimming pool for residents and their guests to enjoy on those exceptionally hot days. But the only space big enough for a pool was the roof - and even that wasn't quite the right size. So they decided to build the world's first floating pool, aptly named Sky Pool.
While the two ends of the pool resemble a traditional outdoor pool (seamlessly filling a depression in the ground and surrounded by a stylish courtyard), the central section is suspended in the sky (thanks to an invisible steel frame). The idea behind the floating section was twofold: firstly, it was the only sensible solution without compromising the size of the pool and, secondly, it allowed swimmers to see the street and city walkers to see the sky. To keep this section as simple as possible, the architects installed steps and filtration systems at either end of the pool, leaving the middle 45 feet as a minimalist aquatic fantasy.
To bring their vision to life, the developers brought in structural engineers Eckersley O'Callaghan and HAL Architects, who carried out countless behavioural analyses to ensure the structure wouldn't collapse - a fear any swimmer high above the ground might face. The engineers and architects settled on an eight-inch-thick acrylic frame with a base nearly 12 inches thick, no more than 10 feet deep and weighing a whopping 50 tonnes.
Inspired by New York City's ultra-industrial Meatpacking District, the idea behind the stunning structure was to push the boundaries of construction and engineering, bringing the future of design into the present. And after a year of cancelled events due to the pandemic, the mesmerising Sky Pool is about to become a reality. Night swimmers will also be treated to stunning views of the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and, of course, the River Thames. Unfortunately for Londoners wanting to take a dip in the floating Sky Pool, it's only open to members of the Eagle Club, an exclusive social hub available only to residents of Embassy Gardens and their guests.
