World's first 360-degree infinity pool coming to London but no one understands how to get in and out of the stunning rooftop pool
London may soon become the first city to have a 360-degree infinity pool. And what's even better is that the pool will be situated on top of a 55-storey building, allowing visitors to float on the city's skyline. Compass Pools, responsible for the design, said the 600,000-litre pool, will be atop a 5-star hotel in the middle of the city, where guests can look up to the pool through its transparent bottom. The sides will be transparent too, allowing swimmers a full view of the city.
The building's exact location is yet to be confirmed, but according to the company's website, construction will kick off in 2020 "if all partners and contractors are confirmed."
The top floors of the building will also have a five-star international hotel, with use of the infinity pool exclusive to hotel guests, and according to a press release. The pool will go by the name of “Infinity London”
To make the pool perfectly clear, Infinity London will be made from cast acrylic instead of glass and the floor of the pool will be transparent so people inside the building will be able to see swimmers, the release said.
Alex Kemsley, swimming pool designer and technical director for Compass Pools, said that he wanted to design the pool first before creating the building underneath it. "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," he said in the press release.
"When we designed the pool, we wanted an uninterrupted view, both above and below the water. With a 360-degree view of London from 220 meters up, it really will be something else — but it's definitely not one for the acrophobic," he added.
The proposed pool will need a built-in anemometer to monitor wind speed as well as a system to control water temperature in order to make sure water is not blown down to the streets. Waste energy from the building's air-conditioning system will be used to heat the water in the pool.
Kemsley also said there were major technical challenges with getting people into and out of the pool, without stairs that would ruin the view. "Normally a simple ladder would suffice, but we didn't want stairs on the outside of the building or in the pool as it would spoil the view — and obviously you don't want 600,000 litres of water draining through the building either."
"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," he pointed out.