Embassy Gardens will be a central feature of the redevelopment of Nine Elms and will form the backdrop to the new US Embassy. The blocks are arranged around raised courtyards where a varying building mass is composed to maximise views, daylight and amenity space.

Active retail and commercial frontages at ground connect the Embassy Square, Linear Park and River Frontage with a network of streets and a central square. Designed as a group these masonry clad buildings draw inspiration from 19th American High Rise Buildings and London’s Classic Mansion Blocks.

Design Approach The first phase of Embassy Gardens began with a series of aspirations to create an enjoyable, memorable and inspirational area to live.

These aspirations included maximising active uses at ground floor level, establishing strong frontages to key elevations along Nine Elms Lane and the Thames, articulating frontages to secondary routes to ensure variety, and creating differing building heights to minimise overshadowing and overlooking, and to emphasise key corners and waypoints.

We also wished the layout of the buildings to allow for an array of generous and pleasing public and amenity spaces including communal courtyards, roof gardens, private terraces and balconies.

“The completed scheme will support thousands of new jobs and is an important piece of the Nine Elms jigsaw.” Nick Cuff, Wandsworth Council's planning chairman

Design Unveiled for World First Sky Pool Eco World Ballymore reveals designs for a 35m high suspended swimming pool at Embassy Gardens

Plans for a breath-taking, suspended swimming pool named ‘Sky Pool’ have been unveiled for Embassy Gardens – the residential heart of London’s newest neighbourhood, Nine Elms on the South Bank.

The stunning outdoor pool will link two residential buildings at the 10th storey – a world first – and allow residents to swim from one building to the next. The sky deck at the top of the two buildings incorporates a spa, summer bar and Orangery for residents to relax and take in the views of London icons which include the Houses of Parliament, London Eye and new US Embassy located next door. The pool is entirely transparent and structure free, 25m long, 5m wide and 3m deep with a water depth of 1.2m. Designed by Arup Associates, with specialist input from Eckersley O’Callaghan and an aquarium designers Reynolds, the experience is intended to be more akin to an aquarium than a pool, with glass that is 20cm thick. (Technically the pool is acrylic – you may wish to retain idea of glass?)

The pool is the vision of Sean Mulryan, Chairman and CEO of Ballymore Group working with the scheme’s architects Arup Associates together with HAL Architects. Ballymore are responsible for the development of Embassy Gardens with their development partners Eco World. Together they are developing the second phase as Eco World Ballymore. Ballymore has a reputation for creating places and spaces that are more than just bricks and mortar, and this pool is testimony to this philosophy - creating an inspiring environment and giving a unique character to the development.

Embassy Gardens takes design inspiration from the Meatpacking District of New York with floor to ceiling windows and brick facades. The buildings that the pool link are part of the second phase of the development which will be released to market in September, soon after the first residents have started to move in following the completion of phase one. This landmark development will see the creation of nearly 2,000 new homes, stunning landscaped gardens and a riverfront walkway threading from Embassy Gardens to Battersea Park, vibrant new bars and restaurants and al fresco and community spaces. For further details contact Hal Currey - Director Hal Architects (formerly director at Arup Associates).