Residents of an exclusive residential block want the world’s first transparent sky pool to be closed throughout winter due to its huge heating costs.
Residents of Embassy Gardens in Nine Elms in south London claim that the water is too cold to be able to swim in in the winter when temperatures drop.
This pool is located in two blocks of residential buildings at 115 feet above London. It allows bathers to look out over the skyline and watch the passersby as they floate.
It was opened in May and regarded as the show-stopping highlight of the £1billion development near the Thames.
However, residents say the pool – which can only be used by residents and their guests – is too cold to use in the winter and costs £164,250 to keep the 375 tons of water heated throughout the year.
Residents of Nine Elms’ exclusive Embassy Gardens have asked for the first ever sky pool in winter to close due to its high cost and difficulty keeping warm.
Those living in a two-bed flat at Embassy Gardens – where flats cost up to £4.5million – pay a service charge of up to £9,000 per year
This pool is located 115ft above London and allows bathers to look out over the skyline of the capital as they floate.
However, residents say the pool is too cold to use in the winter and costs £164,250 to keep the 375 tons of water heated throughout the year
A couple living in the development told The Sun: ‘It is too cold to be used at the moment so it seems mad that we’re still having to pay to heat it.
‘If it’s £450 a day and, at most, five people are using it, that’s £90 per swim. This is hardly value for money.
Those living in a two-bed flat at Embassy Gardens – where flats cost up to £4.5million – pay a service charge of up to £9,000 per year, according to the newspaper, with much of the money going towards heating the Sky Pool and another swimming pool in the development.
Many people have tried to brave the waters this winter but were unable to do so for more than a few seconds. Others claimed that the cover was broken. This is in order to maintain the warmth of the pool during winter.
When the Sky Pool opened in May, people on social media were squeamish at the prospect of going swimming more than 100ft in the air, with Twitter users calling the pool a ‘recipe for disaster’ and ‘a nightmare’
While swimmers have enjoyed views of central London from their pools while swimming, residents say that the water is too cold for them to remain in it more than just a few seconds.
A resident said that they were “basically heating up the sky” because they weren’t happy with the cost of the pool.
According to reports, the association of residents in the development is planning to request that the Sky Pool be closed during winter so it can save money.
The world’s first transparent sky pool was opened on May 19 after a delay due to Covid, and set the seal on an ambitious engineering project which involved transporting the acrylic aquarium-style pool nearly 5,000 miles from the factory in Colorado where it was made.
There is a pool with a roof spa and sandbar.
The view from central London has been enjoyed by swimmers who were able to swim lengths between houses in Nine Elms and Vauxhall.
The iconic structure, which is suspended 35m above ground, offers stunning views of London’s skyline, including the Houses of Parliament and London Eye.
Some residents also claimed that the cover, which keeps the water warm in winter, was broken by another resident.
It was nearly 5,000 miles away from Colorado, where the pool in acrylic was manufactured before it opened in May.
The infinity pool was 25m long, 5m wide, and 3m deep when it opened. It quickly became the best place to go for a swim in Britain.
However, social media users were not thrilled about the idea of swimming over 100 feet in the air. Twitter users called the pool a “recipe for disaster” and a “norm.”
One person posted, “Not swimming out over the glass death pool nope, nope, nope,” while another wrote, “I love heights, but some things just don’t make sense.” I will stick with in-ground swimming pools. Others shared funny GIFs featuring actor Danny DeVito shaking and saying ‘no!’
It took a skilled team of engineers, architects and consultants to install and transport the Sky Pool. There was only a few inches of tolerance required when the structure was placed between two buildings.
Arup Associates engineers Eckersley and Reynolds were part of the team that shipped the enormous bath from London to Reynolds. Then, they gingerly craned it in place.
In 2013, designers who were working on the Embassy Gardens Legacy Buildings Development conceived the plans for the Sky Pool floating pool.
EcoWorld Ballymore’s main feature is its pool. It includes luxury apartments and retail space as well as offices, shops, bars, restaurants, and landscaping gardens.
They are adjacent to the US Embassy, a multi-billion dollar building.
Because architects couldn’t find any space for a pool in their plans, a floating pool was chosen as the best option.
The acrylic pool, measuring 82 feet in length, was created in Colorado and went through extensive strength testing before being sent to the UK. This took 3 weeks.
This giant, heated tub holds 375 tons of water and was created using special technology to allow it to travel in strong winds.
This allows the pool to withstand these types of movements because it isn’t connected at each end. The structure can also slide, but still retains its water-tight integrity.
Although the pool is only 10 feet deep, the acrylic structure is supported by an invisible steel frame. It is completely transparent and fully transparent.