UK-based pool company Compass Pools has unveiled its design for Infinity London, a 55-storey hotel that will soon change the silhouette of London’s skyline.

Not for the faint of heart, the infinity pool will feature transparent walls and floors to provide views of the hotel below. Its walls will be made of ‘cast acrylic’ instead of glass and will be able to hold around 600,000 litres of water, allowing guests to float 220 metres above the ground.

“How do we put a building underneath this?”

Compass Pool’s swimming pool designer and technical director Alex Kemsley commented: “Architects often come to us to design rooftop infinity pools, but rarely do we get a say in the building design because the pool is usually an afterthought. But on this project, we actually started with the pool design and essentially said, ‘how do we put a building underneath this?’

“When we designed the pool, we wanted an uninterrupted view, both above and below the water.”

So, how do people get into the pool? According to its developers, there will be a rotating spiral staircase with a submarine-like door. The door would rise from the pool floor when guests want to swim in or out.

The high-tech pool will include a built-in anemometer to monitor wind speed. This is then linked to a computer-controlled building management system, which ensures the pool’s temperature — and more importantly — makes sure the wind doesn’t blow the water off the side of the building.

“A step further”

Kemsley added: “Swimming in the SkyPool at The Shard, it’s quite a weird feeling to have helicopters flying past at your level, but this pool takes it a step further.

“Pop your goggles on and with a 360-degree view of London from 220m up, it really will be something else – but it’s definitely not one for the acrophobic!”

Construction of Infinity London could begin as soon as 2020. The exact location is yet to be confirmed.