Plans for an audacious 360-degree infinity pool sitting atop a 55-storey skyscraper in London have been unveiled.
The rooftop pool will hold 600,000 litres of water, according to designers Compass Pools. The ambitious plans are said to be the first of their kind in the world with the building set to be called 'Infinity London'.Compass Pools describe the structure as "the only building in the world to incorporate a 360-degree infinity pool."The pool will be made from cast acrylic and will feature transparent sides and floors, so visitors below will be able to see swimmers splashing around above them. There are no permanent stairs for the pool - instead, a spiral staircase that rotates and rises through the water to provide access. The designers envisage that the pool will sparkle like "jewel-topped torch" at night, with the building fitted with a collection of lights. Compass Pool's swimming pool designer and technical director Alex Kemsley said: "We faced some quite major technical challenges to this building, the biggest one being how to actually get into the pool."The solution is based on the door of a submarine, coupled with a rotating spiral staircase which rises from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out - the absolute cutting edge of swimming pool and building design and a little bit James Bond to boot."
The rooftop pool will hold 600,000 litres of water, according to designers Compass Pools. The ambitious plans are said to be the first of their kind in the world with the building set to be called 'Infinity London'.Compass Pools describe the structure as "the only building in the world to incorporate a 360-degree infinity pool."The pool will be made from cast acrylic and will feature transparent sides and floors, so visitors below will be able to see swimmers splashing around above them. There are no permanent stairs for the pool - instead, a spiral staircase that rotates and rises through the water to provide access. The designers envisage that the pool will sparkle like "jewel-topped torch" at night, with the building fitted with a collection of lights. Compass Pool's swimming pool designer and technical director Alex Kemsley said: "We faced some quite major technical challenges to this building, the biggest one being how to actually get into the pool."The solution is based on the door of a submarine, coupled with a rotating spiral staircase which rises from the pool floor when someone wants to get in or out - the absolute cutting edge of swimming pool and building design and a little bit James Bond to boot."
He added: “Architects often come to us to design rooftop infinity pools, but rarely do we get a say in the building design because the pool is usually an afterthought.“But on this project, we actually started with the pool design and essentially said, ‘how do we put a building underneath this?’“When we designed the pool, we wanted an uninterrupted view, both above and below the water."The pool will be fitted with a built-in anemometer to monitor wind speed and will be linked to a computer-controlled building management system that will regulate the pool's temperature and ensure water doesn't spill onto the streets below. The water will be heated using waste energy from the building's air conditioning system. The designers also plan for a five-star hotel to sit underneath the pool in the top stories of the skyscraper construction of the pool could begin in 2020 if partners and contractors are confirmed. The designers do not mention how they plan to get 600,000 litres of water to the top of a 55-storey building which is one of many complex technical challenges the structure will face. For more picture go to https://www.compass-pools.co.uk