NYC Could Soon Install An Olympic-Size Pool That Floats Right On The East River
Image via + Pool
Following more than a decade of crowdfunding, designing, and campaigning, an Olympic-length public floating pool could be coming to the East River, New York.
The 285,500-gallon pool, named ‘+ Pool’ – due to its unique shape – will be built on a floating island.
The pool’s special ‘filtration membranes’ would filter the East River’s water, making it safe for swimming, while also cleaning up the surrounding river. The project’s creators say the pool could be able to clean up to 600,000 gallons of water daily.
+ Pool’s special plus-sign shape isn’t just for aesthetic purposes, either. Each of the four arms will serve different groups: one for children, one for sports, one for regular lap swimming, and the last for lounging and relaxing. It’ll be able to host 300 New Yorkers at once.
The idea was first conceptualized in 2010 in a partnership between design firm PlayLab and architecture practice Family.
According to CNN, the project has received support from notable public figures, including Kanye West and Neil Patrick Harris, with New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang also making it part of his policies.
The organizers had launched a smaller-scale version of the + Pool in the past, named ‘Float Lab’, in the Hudson River.
It was funded by a US$300,000 Kickstarter campaign, and allowed the filtration technology to be tested, concluding that it could “filter river water to pool quality standards without using chemicals.”
While New York’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has given the green light for the + Pool to proceed, organizers will still have to raise an estimated US$20 million.
One of the ways it’s raising funds is by allowing supporters to donate and customize one of the pool’s 70,000 tiles, from US$25 to US$249.
For more information about the + Pool, head here.
Image via + Pool
Image via + Pool
Image via + Pool
[via CNN, images via + Pool]
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