flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

HAL Architects designs 'swimmable bridge' that connects two residential buildings

Multifamily Housing

HAL Architects designs 'swimmable bridge' that connects two residential buildings

The project has been dubbed Sky Pool.


By David Malone, Managing Editor | July 19, 2021
Sky Pool from below
Sky Pool from below

Sky Pool, a swimmable bridge connecting two buildings in London’s Embassy Gardens development, has completed. The project sits alongside the US Embassy in Nine Elms, London.

The nearly 50-foot-long transparent pool connects the buildings ten stories up. Sky Pool was originally conceived as a swimmable aqueduct, but the design process evolved in order to take advantage of the views across London that the space offered.

 

Sky Pool at dusk

 

The pool is made of clear acrylic panels. The bottom of the pool uses 14.1-inch-thick panels while the walls measure seven inches thick. 

HAL Architects designed the pool and claims it is the first-of-its kind in the world. Reynolds Polymers fabricated the panels and Eckersley O’Callaghan provided structural engineering services for the project.

 

Sky Pool aerial

 

Someone swimming in the Sky Pool

Related Stories

Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Jul 20, 2023

Fire-Rated Systems in Light-Frame Wood Construction

Find guidance on designing and building some of the most cost-effective, code-compliant fire-rated construction systems.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 13, 2023

Walkable neighborhoods encourage stronger sense of community

Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to interact with their neighbors and have a stronger sense of community than people who live in car-dependent communities, according to a report by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego.

Affordable Housing | Jul 12, 2023

Navigating homelessness with modular building solutions

San Francisco-based architect Chuck Bloszies, FAIA, SE, LEED AP, discusses his firm's designs for Navigation Centers, temporary housing for the homeless in northern California.

Sponsored | Fire and Life Safety | Jul 12, 2023

Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings [AIA course]

Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.

Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023

5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings

For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.

Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023

Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this

Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?

Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023

California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing

The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.

Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023

Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District

VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.

Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Jun 29, 2023

Hello Atlanta!

Multifamily Housing | Jun 29, 2023

5 ways to rethink the future of multifamily development and design

The Gensler Research Institute’s investigation into the residential experience indicates a need for fresh perspectives on residential design and development, challenging norms, and raising the bar.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021