Sky Pool: 25m Glass Swimming Pool Connecting Two London Buildings

HAL Architects and Arup have recently unveiled their design for a proposed swimming pool spanning two 10-storey high buildings in London. Opposite ends of the 25m long pool are embedded into the roof terraces of the adjacent blocks in the new Embassy Gardens property development. The material used for Sky Pool is actually acrylic rather than actual glass, and this is because acrylic has a refractive index that more closely resembles that of water to make the illusion even more realistic.

One of the main challenges the designers face is the fact that the two buildings across which the swimming pool will span have separate foundations and as a result will move slightly relative to one another over time. This is a completely new feat that hasn’t been attempted before, and the design team are even calling on the expertise of a specialist aquarium designer, Reynolds.

The Embassy Gardens property development in Nine Elms, London is being conducted by the Ballymore Group, and HAL Architects along with Arup are overseeing the design of the Sky Pool itself. The project is forecast for completion in 2019.