Visitors to the Embassy Gardens development in southwest London will be in for a surprise when they look up: a transparent pool, more than 35 meters above the ground , connecting the two buildings of the complex. Named Sky Pool , the pool created by the studio HAL architecture works as a bridge between the buildings ; and its 25 meters in length were made entirely in acrylic panels. The studio described the pool as the world's first designed to give people " a swim like no other ." "We wanted to make a bridge that you could swim in," explained HAL founder Hal Currey, "and that was lightweight. , giving swimmers the chance to enjoy fantastic views of London." Working alongside structural engineers at Eckersley O'Callaghan, HAL's plan was to create a completely transparent structure . "The lack of visible structure gives the Sky Pool a magical quality – a sense of drama for swimmers and spectators alike."

Located on the 10th floor, the pool has the added benefit of having a very similar refractive index to water, so there is only a slight distortion of light through the acrylic. This helps the structure appear more invisible. As the pool spans between the two blocks, it was designed to respond to the movement of the buildings , while also supporting the weight of the water and being impacted by the wind due to its height. At its ends, two steel tubs were built in each of the buildings, which contain steps, cleaning equipment, water treatment and lighting. In addition, two 38mm diameter steel rods pass beneath the pool to connect the two steel tubs to reduce loads on the structure acrylic . The pool has been the talk of the internet. Not only has the fear of heights fueled the debate on social media, but also the fact that the pool is not accessible to residents of affordable housing within the residential complex. According to the associations that manage these more affordable properties, this works this way so that pool maintenance costs are lower for residents – the owners of the more expensive units would pay for the service. Source: Dezeen, BBC Brazil