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Suspended Between Two Buildings in Nine Elms, the Sky Pool Impresses with Its Numbers, Engineering That Absorbs Structural Movements, and the Debate Over Innovation and Luxury
Imagine floating in the air, 35 meters high, observing urban life in London just below your feet. This sensation is the central point of the Sky Pool, considered the world’s first transparent pool suspended between two buildings. The attraction is part of the Embassy Gardens development in the Nine Elms neighborhood and stands out for both its visual impact and the technical complexity involved in its construction.
A Pool That Defies Gravity
Unlike what many might imagine, the Sky Pool is not made of glass. The structure was produced from ultra-high-strength transparent acrylic, a material chosen for its superior optical clarity and a refractive index very close to that of water.
According to the manufacturer Reynolds Polymer, this combination allows for total transparency without compromising safety, even dozens of meters above the ground.
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Manufactured in the United States, the structure was transported as a single piece to London. The numbers are impressive: the side walls are 180 mm thick and 3.2 meters deep, while the bottom of the pool is reinforced with 360 mm.
Empty, the structure weighs 50 tons and was designed to hold approximately 148,000 liters of water.
Engineering Designed for Moving Buildings
The project’s biggest challenge, developed by HAL Architects and Eckersley O’Callaghan, was not just the weight of the water.
Tall buildings naturally move due to wind and thermal expansion, which would make a rigid connection between the towers impractical.
The solution found was to allow controlled mobility. The pool rests on steel “bathtubs” with bridge bearings, a technology that allows for slight sliding movements.
This way, the structure absorbs the movements of the buildings without compromising the acrylic or the stability of the water, and is connected by post-tensioned steel rods that ensure flexibility.
The lifting and installation process of this “liquid bridge” was detailed by the Futurology channel, which has 355,000 subscribers, helping to illustrate the complexity of the work.
A Privilege for the Few
Although it is visible to any pedestrian passing through Nine Elms, access to the Sky Pool is restricted to residents of Embassy Gardens and members of EG:le Club.
In addition to the 25-meter pool, the space includes a spa, bar, and an orangery, with panoramic views of the London Eye, the Palace of Westminster, and the River Thames.
Opened in 2021, the Sky Pool divided opinions. For some, it is a landmark of contemporary engineering; for others, a symbol of urban exclusivity.
Still, the technical achievement remains a unique reference in civil construction.
With information from BMC News.
Very good! Lovely pool! 😄😊😃😀🥰😘🤩😍👏👍