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Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesWant a rush of adrenaline with your morning swim? <a href="http://www.ballymoregroup.com" target="_blank">Ballymore</a> developers have unveiled an amazing transparent “sky pool” that’ll make swimmers feel like they’re floating through the air in London. Described as the "first of its kind in the world," the daring sky pool will be suspended 10-stories high between two apartment buildings in the Embassy Gardens development. The 82-foot-long <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/swimming-pool" target="_blank">swimming pool</a> will be enclosed with 8-inch-thick glass to give swimmers an unrivaled view of the streets of London 115 feet down below.1
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesDespite the sky pool’s daredevil appearance, Ballymore says the pool has been granted planning permission and, like its renderings, will be entirely transparent and structure-free.2
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesThe pool was designed by engineering firm <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/arup" target="_blank">Arup Associates</a> with specialist advice from marine design engineers <a href="http://www.eocengineers.com">Eckersley O' Callaghan </a>and aquarium designers <a href="http://www.reynoldspolymer.com">Reynolds</a>.3
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesThe amazing structure will be developed as part of the HAL-designed 2,000-home Embassy Gardens in the new Nine Elms quarter that’s currently under construction.4
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesThe swimming pool will allow residents to swim between the two luxury apartment buildings, which are both topped by sky decks with a bar, spa, orangery, and dramatic views of the Palace of Westminster.5
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesSadly, not everyone will have the opportunity to swim through the air—units in the <a href="http://www.embassygardens.com" target="_blank">Embassy Gardens</a> cost upwards of £602,000 (USD$944,000).6
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesThe Embassy Gardens development is slated for completion in 2017.7
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup Associates“The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London.”8
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup AssociatesResidents who prefer not to swim can also get across via a footbridge. The proposed structure is 82 feet long, 16.4 feet wide, and nearly 10 feet deep, and was modeled after an aquarium.9
Embassy Gardens Sky Pool by Arup Associates“My vision for the sky pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering, I wanted to do something that had never been done before,” said Ballymore’s chairman and CEO, Sean Mulryan.10
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