THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Talking to Ballymore about breaking new ground

Suspended 35m in the air, the Sky Pool has captured imaginations across London and beyond.

Thanks to recent developments in materials technology, many ideas that would have been impossible to execute only a few years ago, now offer a multitude of dizzying opportunities. The Sky Pool is the most recent example of this and is all the more spectacular for being so aesthetically pleasing.

Filled with 148,000 litres of water, the Sky Pool spans 15 metres, is 10 stories high and connects two apartment buildings (a world first) to allow residents to swim between them. Given the unpredictable nature of UK weather, it seems serendipitous that the opening of the pool coincided with the hottest weather of the year so far.

It’s no surprise then, that when the population was boiling, the images of the gravity-defying Sky Pool captured imaginations and inspired many articles and features in the press and on social media.

We have been speaking to BITA sponsors, Ballymore, about the project, and what it took to get it across the finish line.

Peter McCall, UK Construction Director at Ballymore said; “The structural engineering firm who developed the pool, Eckersley O’Callaghan, spent seven years developing it and trying to stay true to an artist’s impression. We really wanted to create something that would capture people’s imaginations”

However, after the long years spent trying to make the pool into a reality, the firm had success in September last year (2020). Due to the highly specialist nature of the materials and demands that would be placed on them, a specialist manufacturer was appointed in Colorado called Reynolds Polymer, where they had to undertake rigorous, hydrostatic testing. After this, the pool travelled 1,000 miles to Galveston, Texas, before making its three-week journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Antwerp, Belgium. From there, the pool was transferred to London Gateway and then travelled across the River Thames to Albert Embankment overnight, before reaching its final home at Embassy Gardens.

“It’s wonderful as a developer to be working with so many excellent businesses and individuals” explains Peter McCall, “the architects, artists, engineers, specialist manufacturer testing facilities and logistics companies all played a truly crucial role to get this project to completion. It’s always worth the long hours when a project on this scale, with such unique and breath-taking elements, is finished.”

The rooftop on either side of this crystal-clear pool that appears to float in the air, is home to the Sky Deck, a double terrace incorporating a bar and restaurant serviced by onsite Darby’s restaurant. This will be furnished with loungers where residents can enjoy the views and the food, whilst whiling away the hours during their staycations.

For those who forgot their costumes that want to reach the other tower, Ballymore has kindly constructed a parallel footbridge.

The Sky Pool forms the jewel in the crown of the Embassy Gardens development in Nine Elms, London, a mixed-use development developed by EcoWorld Ballymore that has spearheaded the vital extension of the South Bank.

The development is one of Europe’s most significant regeneration projects.

Wrapping around the US Embassy, the towers offer stunning and airy apartments in a riverside neighbourhood that spans 8 hectares, providing over 1,500 new homes. To make sure that the residents have something to do, Ballymore have also developed world-class amenities to service the residents, as well as retail and office space, and provisions for cafés, bars and restaurants. “We really wanted this to serve as a highlight in our portfolio, and we had a vision to deliver on the incredible potential offered by this site.” Peter continues; “We have been able, with the expertise and dedication of our contractors, to transform this formerly derelict site into a dynamic hub that offers a 24-hour lifestyle to residents to live, work and socialise.

“It’s only walking distance from key public transportation hubs, which reduces the need for private vehicles, and will be further connected by the extension of the Northern Line. We are very pleased to have worked on such an incredible project that is really transformative for the area.”

It would be disingenuous not to mention the muchdiscussed rules that don’t allow residents in the social housing portion of the development to access many of the facilities, however as our readers in construction will know, and as Peter explains, the managers of the affordable housing organisation, Peabody and Optivo, have final say in which residents can access which amenities.

Ultimately, Embassy Gardens stands out as a stunning addition to the London skyline, and to the much-needed regeneration of some of the more neglected areas of the city. Pilgrims will find it well worth visiting for the vertigo-inducing view of people swimming 10 stories above the heads of the passers-by below.

DIGGING DEEPER

Spurred on by engineering and materials development, it seems that architects across the world are envisioning increasingly spectacular pools. Just following the opening of the Sky Pool, the private company Blue Abyss announced their plans to construct the world’s deepest artificial pool in Cornwall – 50 metres deep. Far from being a place that the publica can enjoy, they are intending to offer the pool as an astronaut and deep-sea diver training site, and as a location for filming.