London’s Sky Pool in Embassy Gardens, a mixed-use residential and commercial development, features what is touted the world’s only suspended swimming pool—the 25-m (82-ft) long pool stretches 35 m(115 ft) high between the rooftops of two apartment buildings.
The structure of the cuboid transparent pool is built in load-bearing acrylic. It was manufactured in Colorado, transported to Texas, and then shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to reach England.
Initially, the developers were concerned about not having to compromise on the length of the pool and for this reason, it was decided to build it between the two apartment buildings, as the rooftop could not accommodate such a long swimming pool amidst other attractions such as a sky deck and shrubbery. The steps and the filtration systems are built on both sides of the pool where it is on ground.
The developers involved structural engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan and HAL Architects, who indulged in several analyses to ensure the pool would be strong enough to sustain the forces of gravity. The resulting acrylic frame is 203 mm (8 in.) thick while the base is 304-mm (12-in.) thick with almost 3.1 m (10 ft) of depth—overall, the structure weighs 45.4 tonnes (50 tons).
