ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

CLAD people

Sean Mulryan

Sean Mulryan Chair and CEO, Ballymore Group
Project: Sky pool, Nine Elms, London, UK


Developer Ballymore announced plans at the end of the summer for a ‘sky pool’ spanning two apartment blocks in its Nine Elms development next to Battersea Power Station, London.

The 25m pool will be 5m wide and will enable residents to swim between the buildings with only 20cm of transparent acrylic between them and a 10 storey drop.

The pool is the brainchild of the Ballymore Group chair and CEO, Sean Mulryan, who said: “The experience will be unique; it will feel like floating through the air while you’re swimming.

“The Sky Pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade. My vision stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries of construction and engineering.”

The apartment building will also feature a rooftop bar, a spa and an orangery. A bridge running parallel with the pool will enable residents and visitors to walk between the buildings.

The pool was designed by Arup Associates, marine design engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan and aquarium designer Reynolds.

Ballymore MD John Mulryan explained how the acrylic structure will be supported. “The pool spans about 40m between the two buildings but a lot of the structure is in the side of the pool,” he said. “Even though you’ve only got 20cm [of thickness of acrylic] at the bottom of the pool, you’ve got 3m [of acrylic] on each side and that essentially carries a lot of the structure.

“Acrylic is really strong and it can do much more than it used to be able to do five or 10 years ago. “[This is] brand new technology and it’s the first time it’s been done.”

The apartments are part of the 2,000-home Embassy Gardens development which is entering its second stage and is part of a wider regeneration scheme masterplanned by Foster + Partners and Frank Gehry.

The scheme has attracted controversy for its high-end pricing and designer styling.

Gallery
Click on an image to open the image gallery
company profile
Company profile: Painting With Light
Painting with Light is a team of professional lighting and multimedia experts who design and produce visual experiences that dazzle & shine.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
FS Shanghai at Pudong
Ed Ng
"Of all hospitality design, we feel that F&B is the most fun. You can be creative and it’s where you get all the limelight"

When ABConcept’s co-founder got The brief for the Four Seasons’ Mei Ume restaurant, he jumped straight on the plane to London. He tells us why

The sky pool was engineered by Arup Associates, Eckersley O’Callaghan and aquarium designer Reynolds
The project is the brainchild of Ballymore CEO Sean Mulryan
"It will feel like floating through the air while you’re swimming "

On his plans for the London 'sky pool'

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
Ten Museum Park has sky gardens and pavilions, and rooftop vitality pools for the penthouses and tower suites
Chad Oppenheim
"You can’t insert the operational aspects as an afterthought, the whole project is a balance of performance and poetry"

From a youth centre for Pharrell Williams to a Six Senses resort, Miami architect Chad Oppenheim’s aim is to find the balance between fantasy and functionality

The architecture features clean lines and a diamond shape designed to represent the Dolomite mountains
"Wellness embraces the entire holiday experience"

The design of the newly-opened Lefay Resort and Spa Dolomitti in Italy aims to celebrate and protect its spectacular surroundings

Kravitz’ Extreme WOW Suite
Kravitz and Starck worked on the project
"A cheeky interpretation of luxury hospitality"

Collaborate on the W Las Vegas

features
Konieczny studied at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice. He launched KWK Promes in 1999
"Many buildings nowadays look interesting, but when you analyse deeper, there’s nothing more than the form"

On designing the World Building of the Year

The building was designed to minimise energy loss
"Whenever you’re looking at it, the elevation is running away from you, so it never looks quite as big as it really is "

FaulknerBrowns’ Dutch sports facility

Harriet Gridley, Spacehive
"It empowers citizens to change their community with a bottom up approach - Harriet Gridley, Spacehive"

Crowdfunding can empower architects, but knowledge of the challenges is vital, finds Kath Hudson

cladkit product news
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
cladkit product news
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
cladkit product news
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo