This isn’t a pool day for the faint-hearted…

British pool architects, Compass Pools, have designed the world’s first 360-degree infinity pool intended to be built on the rooftop of a 55-storey building. The designers had hoped the pool would be approved for a new building in London, UK but it seems now that they also have their sights set on Dubai.

Technical director Alex Kemsley said in a video, “We’re in talks with a super-luxe hotel chain and developers in the UK and Dubai to actually make this happen, which is very exciting.” The acrylic edge gives 360-degree views of the city from 220 metres high, just imagine seeing Dubai from above – but also underwater.

The structure of the pool, named Infinity London, uses clever ‘James Bond-style’ design elements, including a hydraulic spiral staircase, which emerges from underwater so that people can get in and out. “Normally a simple ladder would suffice, but we didn’t want stairs on the outside of the building or in the pool as it would spoil the view,” Kemsley said on his website.

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As the former president of the British Swimming Pool Federation, Kemsley took to his Youtube Channel to answer some questions the internet had about the project.

“We were asked about lifeguards, we obviously can’t put a chair on the side of the pool. However firstly you would have someone in the swimming pool with a waterproof radio, and underwater cameras that can detect if someone is underwater for any period of time or in danger and automatically trigger the staircase.”

Safety has played a huge part in the project. The 600,000 litre pool has a 1.4 metre water depth, so there’s no risk of anyone falling out. And there’s a big focus on sustainability as well, the pool will be heated using the waste energy of the building’s air conditioning system.

While Compass Pools have said that construction for Infinity London could begin in 2020, we’re hoping ‘Infinity Dubai’ will come to life even sooner.

But surely there’s space for a swim-up bar…?

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Images: Compass Pools