Giant "Sky Pool” to Be Built 10 Stories Above the Ground

Soon, residents of two London apartment buildings will have the opportunity to swim above-ground—10 stories above ground, in a gigantic glass swimming pool.

If all goes to plan, the 90-foot-long, 19-foot-wide pool will connect the buildings at their communal rooftop sun terraces. The glass will be 8 inches thick to ensure the swimmers' safety, and at 4 feet deep, the water will allow residents of the buildings to easily swim back and forth between terraces.

The apartment buildings—dubbed Embassy Gardens due to their proximity to the American embassy in the Nine Elms neighborhood of London—have a good view of the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye. The rooftops will have a summer bar and sun loungers, a spa, and orangery. 

This decadent design idea comes from Sean Mulryan, chairman and founder of developer company Ballymore. 

“We set out to create places and spaces that are more than just bricks and mortar,” Mulryan said. “The pool is testimony to this philosophy and gives the development a unique character.”

These swanky apartments will go on sale in September—and in accordance with their swanky amenities, they come with a hefty price tag: The smallest and most inexpensive apartment will cost £600,000. The wealthy up-and-coming neighborhood of Nine Elms on the south bank of the Thames continues to be a symbol of London's growing divide in the housing market. The new development is meant to rejuvenate the area, but many are worried that the new buildings will be purchased by foreign investors and left empty.