The floating lido would be a place for exercise, wellness, and some cracking pool selfies.
I honestly though we’d seen the zenith of floating pools when this spectacular glass-bottomed arrival was announced for Nine Elms, but it looks as if the battle for the coolest pool in town isn’t over yet. Proposals have been submitted to turn an old Dutch barge into a floating lido and moor it in West India Quay – an open-air swimming pool like no other, which would also feature a sauna, plunge pool, and decking for sunbathers. [Featured image: Water Cures Spa]
The Water Cures Spa, as the project is known, would vary a little from your standard London lido, in that the water wouldn’t be treated with chlorine. Instead, it would be filled with naturally filtered and heated dock water, along with reed beds and vegetation, in a bathing experience more akin to one of the city’s wild swimming spots. The barge would be moored alongside the quay, and accessed by a pair of gangways, with the spa facilities arranged over two levels – the 25-metre lido taking up the majority of the main deck, naturally.
This floating lido would be open seven days a week, from 6am-11pm, according to the planning application, and the barge would also host a cold plunge, a hot zone, a Finnish sauna, and a Turkish hammam, or steam room. Water Cures Spa is also proposing to hold acoustic gigs, yoga, and talks at the venue once it’s up and running, and have stated intentions to involve local residents with low-cost swimming sessions and community engagement. Plans are still in the early stages, but the Canal and River Trust have given their conditional approval for the barge to be moored, according to IanVisits.
The floating lido aims to “promote a meaningful connection to the water space”, and whilst that’s a lofty ambition for a swimming pool, it certainly would be a blessing on a scorching day like today, so we’re of the opinion that everyone involved should just go full steam ahead. Because really, the only thing that could top a floating lido on a bare, or a glass-bottomed sky pool, would be this jaw-dropping infinity pool that’s been mooted – although it sadly remains a mere pipe dream for now. In any event, lido life is looking pretty sweet these days…
Once the lidos have been sorted, we’d like an incredible floating park like the one planned for Copenhagen please.
Also published on Medium.