COMPANY FOCUS
Reynolds Polymer Role In Making The World’s First Floating Pool
The Sky Pool, located at Embassy Gardens in London, has received a wide range of media coverage over recent months and in this issue, we highlight the challenges that Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. had when supplying the main feature for the groundbreaking project
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eynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. in partnership with international property developers Ecoworld Ballymore Group, recently unveiled the world’s first ‘floating’ swimming pool, which spans 82 feet across two buildings, 115 feet in the air. The pool consists of one, solid, 14-inch-thick piece of acrylic and is made from totally transparent polymer, which was engineered and manufactured in the small Colorado town of Grand Junction. The acrylic is the main feature of the Embassy Gardens’ Sky Pool in London, a stunning swimming pool project which has received wide media coverage over recent months due to its unique and groundbreaking design. “Manufacturing and engineering of the Sky Pool has pushed the envelope of what can be done in large acrylic structures,” said Paul O. Gardner, Vice President of Engineering, Quality, & Safety at Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. “The team in Grand Junction has overcome incredibly tight tolerances and requirements to arrive at a finished project that is unexplainable without seeing it. Words can’t adequately describe the finished product; it must be witnessed.” Shipping proved to be another major task of the project. Transporting such a large structure, which weighs 122,000 pounds (in excess of 55 tonnes), from Grand Junction to London required police escorts, road closures, removal of traffic lights and street signs, as well as a full day closure of Nine Elms Lane, which runs alongside the River Thames in London, as the acrylic pool structure arrived on a barge via the water. “The design and engineering that went into Sky Pool involved many people across multiple continents,” advised Declan McLaughlin, CEO of Reynolds Polymer. “Sometimes you are presented with challenges that seem insurmountable, and Sky Pool was one of those. However, it inspired our organisation to go above and beyond and execute an
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inspirational iconic idea of a floating pool. Incredibly proud to be part of this once in a lifetime legacy challenge.” Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. has over 35 years’ experience, and nearly 3,000 projects spanning 59 countries. Reynolds Polymer is constantly reinventing the definition of what can be done with acrylic. In addition to unique casting processes and an unsurpassed bonding technology, Reynolds Polymer’s highly trained design engineers work hard to make the impossible possible. Reynolds Polymer brings architectural and design dreams to life and has created some of the world’s most visited structures. The design of Sky Pool was built to appear simple to the public, however the concept is incredibly complex. In reality, it’s a three-
dimensional structure carrying the weight of the water, as well as sustaining its pressure, spanning across a considerable distance at height, subject to wind loads, temperature fluctuations and building movements. While the project took four years to complete, six months was spent just exploring the concept with plenty of discussion on design data and safety measures. The final result is truly an engineering marvel, a one-of-a-kind floating pool, an amazing architectural statement at a landmark development, and one of the best examples of highly engineered acrylic in the world. Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. + 1 970 241 4700 www.reynoldspolymer.com
The design of Sky Pool was built to appear simple to the public, however the concept is incredibly complex”
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 27/06/2021 12:43