A 'floating pool' has opened in London's Embassy Gardens. (Image credit: AFP)
Move over, chilled drinks and ice creams. There is a new way to soak the summer sun, at least for the people of London. Residents of two blocks of flats in Nine Elms, Vauxhall in southwest London, have come up with a novel way to relax in the summer - in a floating pool suspended 115 feet in the air. The swimming pool is situated above an Embassy Gardens flat and has captured the interest of the Internet due to its unique placement and design. Social media users are divided on the "Sky Pool" that has been described as the world's first floating pool that is suspended between two buildings and offers a stunning view of the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.
Sharing the video of the pool, Embassy Gardens wrote on Instagram, “We've loved seeing all your pics and vids of the Sky Pool - keep them coming.” Embassy Gardens further shared details about the pool in Instagram Stories and said that it is the “largest piece of load-bearing acrylic in the world.” It added that the pool holds “148,000 litres of water and allows swimmers to float 35 metres in the air between two residential buildings."
The pool was built by structural engineers Eckersley O'Callaghan and designed by HAL Architects. It was inaugurated on May 19, this year.
Access to the pool is limited to only residents of the towers and their guests. Despite the novelty factor, social media users did seem a bit confused as to what they felt about the pool.
Reacting to a video of the pool shared by BBC, author Don Winslow said that the idea was a big ‘no' for him.
One user even described it to be a “nightmare”.
“Seen that sky pool for rich people and immediately wished for the arrival of Godzilla,” wrote another.
One user added the pool to the list of “things I'm never partaking in” list.
Former American basketball player, Rex Chapman, too, did not seem very impressed.
Actress Kristen Johnston said, “They asked themselves if they could, but didn't ask if they should.”
“Pools are supposed to be relaxing, not a test,” explained producer Jimmy Palmiotti.
Some users threw in an ample dose of sarcasm as well.
Tell us what you think of this floating pool.
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