World’s first 360° infinity pool planned for London

A 200m-high "infinity" swimming pool with 360° views has been designed by UK company Compass Pools.

"Infinity London" would be a 600,000-litre pool built from cast acrylic and placed on the top of a 55-storey building. The light would be transmitted at a similar wavelength to water so the pool would appear clear. The pool would also have a transparent floor, and contain a number of lights that appear like "sparkling torches" at night.

Construction on Infinity London could begin in 2020 if all partners and contractors are confirmed. The location of the project is also yet to be confirmed.

Swimmers would enter the pool through a rotating spiral staircase in its base, and a computer-controlled system would be used to keep the pool temperature steady using waste gas from the building’s air condition units.

Alex Kemsley, Compass Pool’s designer and technical director, said: "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.

"Swimming in the SkyPool at The Shard, it’s quite a weird feeling to have helicopters flying past at your level, but this pool takes it a step further. Pop your goggles on and with a 360° view of London from 220m up, it really will be something else – but it’s definitely not one for the acrophobic.

"We faced some quite major technical challenges to this building, the biggest one being how to actually get into the pool.

"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."

Images courtesy of Compass Pools