London’s first Sky pool recently opened its doorways to swimming zealots for that much-awaited dive that not only tests their swimming skills at altitudes as high as 115 ft but also affords them with soul gripping views of the sky and the entire Nine Elms region surrounding the Embassy Gardens’ Legacy buildings located beneath the pool.
Making of the Sky pool
This marvelous structure sits atop two buildings and extends up to 25 meters in a transparent body made from glass that looks much like an aquarium from a distance.
Sky pool is one of the many projects undertaken by the Ballymore Group and the idea that led to its execution was to offer an outlandish experience to the visitors at the central part of London close to the US Embassy.
The Embassy Estate’s Sky Pool project initially took off in Colorado in the US where the pool underwent rigorous testing procedures to qualify as a floating pool. Stainless steel tubs were placed at both ends of the pool to let the swimmers easily sail over to the pool.
Contrary to rooftop pools, swimming in this pool not just puts you in proximity to the sky but also lets you grasp the views of manicured gardens of Embassy Estates lying 82 feet beneath it.
This floating pool is the first-of-its-kind that lets the swimmers experience that mid-air feeling that was never seen or heard before Sky pool came into existence.
The ten-story building that leads you to the pool is equipped with a sky deck designed specifically for the residents and guests that allows them to socialize and relax in its bar and spa.
From here, the visitors can view the lush surroundings of the Nine Elms, US Embassy, London Eye and The House of Parliament.
The glass used in this pool is 20 cm thick and the airspace it occupies between the two buildings runs up to 48 feet distance, enabling the swimmers to encounter the rare floating-in-air experience.
The pool that started functioning on 19th May 2021 is open for the residents and those who dare to take a splash in Sky pool will need a membership in the Embassy Estates’ Private Club EG:LE.
Builders of the suspended sky pool
Sky pool is manufactured by Arup Associates (in collaboration with HAL Architects), a construction and design engineering firm that comprises a highly creative team of engineers, architects, and designers who have garnered applause for their larger-than-life projects including the Sydney Opera House.
Their latest project, Sky pool is being viewed as nothing less than a masterpiece with theatrical elements that allow both the bystanders and the visitors to enjoy the scenery this slab of glass pool lends to the area with a high level of astonishment.
Why Sky pool matters?
The pool is ten feet deep and weighs around 50 tonnes without water and had to travel a distance of 5000 miles by sea and road from Colorado to reach the Nine Elms area via cranes.
The addition of this floating pool in the Embassy Estate gardens is inviting more and more people to invest in the Embassy Estate’s properties just to be close to this construction masterpiece they hope to swim in one day.
The most illustrious properties where the prospective owners can buy two-bedroom apartments near the Embassy Estates are near the Battersea Power Station where prices go up to $1.6 million per accommodation.
Being able to live around the World’s Largest and first floating pool near the US Embassy is a privilege reserved only for a few lucky families who have the courage to exhibit their daring selves by taking a splash in the floating pool.
