Manufacturer Compass Pools has unveiled a new concept for the world's first 360-degree infinity pool. Designed for a skyscraper rooftop in London, the 600,000-liter pool would offer views of the city's skyline from all sides. Called Infinity London, the project would be made from cast acrylic and feature transparent sides and floors, allowing visitors to see swimmers in the pool above them.
As for the design of the pool itself, there will be no stairs on the outside of the pool, instead opting for a spiral staircase that rotates and rises through the water to provides access for swimmers. As swimming pool designer and technical director Alex Kemsley stated, "We faced some quite major technical challenges to this building, the biggest one being how to actually get into the pool. 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 -- the absolute cutting edge of swimming pool and building design and a little bit James Bond to boot!"
The project would rise above a five-star hotel and include a built-in anemometer to monitor wind speed. In turn, this would be linked to a computer-controlled building management system to regulate the pool and ensure water doesn't spill onto the streets below. To further control the pool's temperature, the water will be heated using waste energy from the building's air conditioning system.
Construction of the pool aims to begin in 2020 once partners and contractors are confirmed.
