London 'sky pool' suspended between flats billed as 'world first'

London's new Nine Elms quarter, located next to Battersea Power Station, will feature a glass "sky pool" suspended between two apartment blocks.

Billed as a "world first", the 25m swimming pool will be built ten storeys up and will allow residents to swim between the two buildings while overlooking central London.

With a depth of 3m and a width of 5m, the giant aquarium will hold 375 tonnes of water in a 20cm transparent glass casing. There will also be a walkway between the buildings, should residents prefer not to get their feet wet.

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The apartments start at £602,000 and will be developed by the Ballymore Group.

"My vision for the sky pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering," said chairman and CEO Sean Mulryan. "I wanted to do something that had never been done before.

"The sky pool's transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade. The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London."

For Jonathan Morrison, writing in The Times, the sky pool is another example of how "Battersea is fast becoming the 'ideas hub' of the architecture world".

However, not everyone is so taken with the idea. Henry Pryor, a buying agent for wealthy clients, told The Guardian: "It's not easy to say for sure what the extras like pools, tennis courts and home cinemas add to a home, but for the first time I can honestly say that whilst my admiration for the architect is close to reverence this absurd addition must surely be the biggest mistake I have ever come across."

According to The Independent, the Nine Elms development has become "a symbol for the growing divide in the London housing market".

London Mayor Boris Johnson has also been criticised after many of the new homes were sold to overseas buyers. A local resident told The Guardian in February: "It's going to be a 'buy to leave' business. These flat are just deposit boxes for buyers taking advantage of the rising value of property in London."

Construction on the development is due to be completed by 2017.