12.1k points · submitted by MaxSupreme369 to r/interestingasfuck
12.1k
all 2718 comments
KaboomTheMaker • points (5 children)
You cant pay me good enough money to do this, I dont trust anything that much
Thronen • points (3 children)
Being the world's first of it's kind doesn't exactly fill me with confidence, either.
xavia91 • points (3 children)
I just hope the people who build this had good concepts for mitigating storms, earthquakes and whatever else causes two buildings to move.
Oggabobba • points (4 children)
Don’t get many earthquakes in London. Though I’d imagine they still accounted for it
ClarkDoubleUGriswold • points (1 child)
Did they account for dementors
DescriptionDue4100 • points (2 children)
Probably accounted for strong winds and the extra weight that could come from heavy rain and such
Canotic • points
You just know that some poor guy spent an inordinate amount of time simulating sloshing physics in storing wind in a moving pool.
ADelightfulCunt • points (2 children)
They would probably accounted for the pool filled to the brim and added a factor of safety of 3-5. They really don't want to fuck that up. They probably also made the glass so tough and probably a half dozen or so laminated pieces so if some idiot shot it with a rifle it'll be fine.
Inner-Floor-5827 • points (1 child)
Never thought about it being shot with a rifle, damn.
Ruinwyn • points (1 child)
Earthquakes are unlikely to be a problem. Foundations shifting due to new construction in the area is much more likely. That thing will be fine for few years. Then the usefulness will depend on inspection and maintanence schedule. Odds are that it will be drained and taken out of use long before it actually fails. Once visual wear starts to show up, fewer people will want to use it and it won't be worth the upkeep.
F4ntasticPants • points (3 children)
I'm less concerned for the engineering and more for the materials and labour used by the lowest bidder who ended up building it
DEATHWISH6666 • points (4 children)
I worked for the company that built this. Definitely not the lowest bidder.
MBRLynnn • points (4 children)
Thanks for inspiring confidence, DEATHWISH6666
lactllzol • points
LMAO
Loemz • points
Well, are they wishing death upon 6666 people or upon themselves 6666 times?
LiftHeavyLiveHard • points
comment of the day
Jaripsi • points
I wouldnt have been surprised if your company was the only bidder. Not many manufacturers trust their own product and engineering enough to offer it to be used in a place like this.
But I’m guessing the material is not something that shatters like glass, like many people here are imagining.
phunkinit2 • points
How does it move with the buildings ? Sliding rail ?
oversoul00 • points (1 child)
You're thinking of the military. High quality and high cost materials are used by the rich and powerful all the time.
Then again, sometimes they make submarines...
PrematureBurial • points (1 child)
What kind of world's first is it though?
World's first transparent pool?
World's first transparent pool between two residential(!) buildings?
World's first transparent pool between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens?
A_wild_so-and-so • points (1 child)
World's first person to fall out of a transparent pool between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens.
DopaminergicNeuron • points (4 children)
Stoweboard3r • points (1 child)
“Built” is a bit of a generalization. Reynolds was the acrylic manufacturer for both but there’s many more hands in the bucket as far as design and installation.
BagOfFlies • points (3 children)
Surely they learned from their mistakes...
_DuranDuran_ • points (1 child)
They didn’t. And don’t call me Shirley.
WormTop • points
Just learned not to trust fish
TrannosaurusRegina • points
Amazin' 💯
FrungyLeague • points (3 children)
I've got $8. Anyone else?
VirtualArmsDealer • points (1 child)
That monopoly money isn't gonna do much here in the UK
An1retak • points (3 children)
First you have to trust the engineers and architects who designed it, then you need to trust the materials were correctly sourced and no one skimped out on quality, then you need to trust the installation was done correctly and qualified personnel were employed. The fact that it’s in London gives me a small bit of comfort that it’s likely well built. That being said, I’ve seen pools+height go wrong before and it’s terrifying.
Couldnt_Give_Two • points
I'd be more worried about the second one built where they try and reduce the cost by thinning the line of "safe".
NdujaReallyLikeIt • points (1 child)
You missed the vital final point.
You need to trust the users. I trust allllll or those.
I don't trust some coked up ballsack trying to damage it
mcd0naldss_ • points (3 children)
imagine trying to cannonball into that thing and you just fall off the side
mikefever90 • points (2 children)
You just gave my brain great idea for a nightmare
mcd0naldss_ • points
CANNONBALLL!
DonutConfident7734 • points
while saying "I'll see you in the next oneeeee!"
The others: "next one what, Kyle? Kyyyle?"
mechmind • points (6 children)
Wow. Since those buildings sway independently, the pool must have flexible joints. Impressive engineering. But yeah I've seen Jason stadam movies
_ManMadeGod_ • points (2 children)
Swear I saw either this or something similar saying the pool is like semi independent of both of them or something. Not sure.
mechmind • points (1 child)
Oic so the pool is solid and rides on the two buildings. Cool
EnjoyerOfMX5 • points (2 children)
Buildings move a ton so the pool probably has springs or some crazy technology to allow it to flex. the glass construction makes it a no from me, if it cracks all those people are instantly dead. I'm not afraid of heights at all and I would decline.
drfeelsgoood • points (2 children)
I don’t think it’s glass. Probably layered polycarbonate. Notice the title didn’t say “first glass pool between two buildings” it said “first transparent.” Polycarbonate is much stronger than any glass and more shock resistant, it’s what bullet proof “glass” is made of.
Heegyeong • points (1 child)
I second the trust in polycarbonate.
I'm a completely different kind of scientist - biochemical - but polycarbonate tubes are very commonly used in ultracentrifuges, where they're spun at 20,000g (20k × 9.8m/s², which is 20k × the acceleration due to gravity, if anyone was wondering). I've had to do it so many times it's boring.
Cracking is the least of my worries.
Easy_Work2194 • points (2 children)
Is Jason stadam bollywood?
TheVoidSeeker • points
Jason Stadam is the result of a great love story between a young British soldier who fought in Iraq and the beautiful daughter of one of Saddam Hussein's most ruthless bodyguards.
I heard that he is quite successful as a background dancer in music videos and also likes to do some swimming and diving.
Brightyellowdoor • points (2 children)
I've worked with enough architects that I'm going to just sit this one out if that's ok.
JetlinerDiner • points (1 child)
Architects only draw the nice pictures, engineers design a solution to execute the nice pictures.
LordDagwood • points
Architect that designed the pool: "Flexible joints? Oh, yeah. The flex tape."
DEATHWISH6666 • points
Each end is made out of stainless sitting on plates that allow the buildings to move independently
TheRealBlancoGringo • points (4 children)
schwar26 • points (2 children)
Thank you! Was racking my brain thinking of this scene trying to remember the movie.
FaliureToCat • points (2 children)
There's also the one in mechanic: resurrection
OfficeMagic1 • points
I remember the movies subreddit complaining in 2016 that this pool wasn't a real thing and no one would be stupid enough to build one.
brazzers-official • points
Ofc that's a thing
Ok_Eagle_6239 • points
Scrolled too far to find this
QuantumFluxSpaghetti • points (2 children)
ShutUpChunk • points * (edited 10h ago) (2 children)
Really is the meme that keeps on giving
Madkids23 • points (1 child)
Blessed be Willem Dafoe, we know not what we possess
prinzmi88 • points (2 children)
Prophetic_Rose • points (5 children)
So you're telling' me this is the world's first transparent pool between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens suspended 35 meters (115 feet) in the air?
Poppekas • points (1 child)
Yeah I know, how many can there be? Are there 5 now?
Prophetic_Rose • points (2 children)
At least one, last I heard
Poppekas • points (2 children)
Yes, luckily! I heard that the list that World Guinness records kept of transparent pools built between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens suspended 35 meters (115 feet) in the air was truly embarrasingly low. Glad they've finally started it!
neutralrobotboy • points
I mean they put like 10 of these things between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens suspended 34 meters (111.5 feet) in the air. This was the next logical step to up their game.
ClosedL00p • points (1 child)
believed to be …..
How/why the fuck is there any speculation about something like that? Seems like it’d be something relatively easy to verify
Radaistarion • points
No no no
We believe that it is. Big difference
piedude67a • points (2 children)
It also appears to be that this is the world's first transparent pool between two residential buildings at Embassy Gardens suspended 35 meters (115 feet) in the air.
abskpr • points (1 child)
Good for them! I think they haven't seen final destination movies.
Koakie • points (3 children)
Just_A_Nitemare • points (3 children)
I'm guessing it's acrylic instead of standard glass, or perhaps a composite.
exploringmoon • points
yeah no way this is standard glass
TwistedVisionaryXXX • points
yeah it’s ultra thick structural acrylic, it’s been open for 5 years
Subotail • points (4 children)
Stress force visible with a polarizing filter (found on Wikipedia)
DerAlexx2015 • points (3 children)
Is that a good or Bad Stress force?
Subotail • points (2 children)
I will ask my pool therapist
Ispeakblabla • points (1 child)
Well as a pool, at least it's not going to have a burnout (aside from that one time at the sea parks sea lion show where Roy's gf's parents died.)
le_dious • points
Yes
pazhalsta1 • points
It would be odd if there were no stress right? Tons of water in there
wth_is_going_on_ • points (3 children)
Nightmare for whom have aqua phobia and height phobia
DogsDucks • points (2 children)
I don’t think our primal minds are meant to reside in a structure like this at all.
Whether or not you’re even afraid of heights, it still activates a subconscious fear/ imminent danger that you’re unconsciously having to override.
I think adrenaline seekers probably like this, but I do think it takes a toll on your brain even if it’s imperceptible to your conscious thoughts.
We aren’t meant to be stuck in prolonged perceived danger like that.
Relevant-Horror-627 • points (1 child)
There is a building in New York with an observation deck that has a section of glass floor. I was so excited to see it and take pictures and all that but I initially could not force myself to walk over it. I tried. I could barely stand near it.
Then I watched a toddler run across it. I was eventually able to do it but it took so much longer than it should have.
mcd0naldss_ • points (2 children)
DOUBLE PHOBIA
FalseEstablishment28 • points (2 children)
DOUBLE PHOBIA ALL THE WAY
Am1AllowedToCry • points (2 children)
But what does it mean???
madcoins • points
all the way across the sky-y
honeyy-dew • points (2 children)
With earthquake.... TRIPPLE PHOBIA!!
Worth_Law9804 • points (1 child)
You see a spider next to the pool. QUADRUPLE PHOBIA!
BaitmasterG • points
Quadraphobia? Wasn't that by The Who?
DoggedStooge • points (1 child)
I'm sure it's been thoroughly tested and is safe, but nope. Just nope. Not for me.
Iguana_Enthusiast • points (1 child)
I couldn't relax while swimming in this pool. It would stress me out...
Forrestfunk • points (3 children)
As a structural engineer myself I don't want to calculate anything around this. But it's very cool
Sproketz • points (2 children)
I'm a bit of a structural engineer myself.
hornwalker • points
https://giphy.com/gifs/2ViZJi3RLXAZ22PG08
I’m just a poor person on the ground below
drinkduffdry • points
Same, thinking about crosswind deflection variability
Stfuego • points (1 child)
For those who want to see "what would happen", here it is from the movie, The Amateur! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3wvEmO4Ts4
Comfortable-Yam2417 • points (3 children)
If you have a flat there the service charge for this thing is £6k a year.
Embassy Gardens also has a feature glossed over by many which is ‘poor door’.
Onekama • points (2 children)
Kind of, if I’m reading that article correctly it looks like normal building occupants have access to all building amenities but there are some lower income apartments within the building that have prices reduced and some high cost amenities excluded without an additional fee.
wolfblitzen84 • points (1 child)
Theres a good show on HBO called High Maintenance. There's an episode that jokes about this at a luxury apt in Brooklyn. Here in NYC you can sign up for the lower income housing lottery to live in a decent building but not allowed to use all amenities.
mushuggarrrr • points (1 child)
6k a year honestly isnt extreme for london service charge
MaxSupreme369 • points (3 children)
This is where the next Final Destination movie starts 🙃
Stfuego • points (2 children)
Well good news, this has been in a movie already! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3wvEmO4Ts4
skynetempire • points
That was actually a pretty good movie
Contemplating_Prison • points (2 children)
Rami Malek killed someone in pool like this in the movie the Amateur
PerennialPhilosopher • points
It is this pool
FAUST_VII • points (2 children)
How does it survive the stress of being between two independent towers that swing in the wind?
Never-Dont-Give-Up • points (1 child)
Probably has flex points on both sides
Subotail • points * (edited 11h ago) (2 children)
Or perhaps the entire swimming pool is separate from the two buildings?
Edit: something like this
The final design comprises a 15 metre long acrylic section sitting in steel ‘tubs’ at either end, the tubs providing a base for the pool and also housing the pool steps and essentials such as cleaning equipment and lighting. Bridge bearings under the tubs allow the pool to move as the two buildings on which it sits move. https://www.ballymoregroup.com/news/world-first-sky-pool-at-embassy-gardens
Daedalus_Knew • points (1 child)
You don’t think it’s a structural pool?
Subotail • points
Load bearing water!
Odd-Grapefruit-6490 • points (3 children)
So if five 200 lb people jump in is the weight of the pool increased by 1000lbs? Or do they merely displace the water ?
get_to_ele • points (2 children)
They only displace the water up less than an inch and it doesn’t leave the pool. It holds 39,000 gallons and you’re only increasing the weight by 1000 pounds/(8 pounds/gallon) =125 gallons…
125/39000=0.00321
0.321% increase in weight.
Wild-Video-5317 • points (1 child)
Tldr: the pool holds about 162 tons of water, swimmers are only a small fraction of the load
pazhalsta1 • points (2 children)
Where do you think the water would go?
FidgitForgotHisL-P • points (1 child)
Over the sides, just like my bath, one assumes.
Sucks to be below this…
Sad_Guitar4514 • points (1 child)
Mikeyy907 • points
Final destination in the making
good2Bbackagain • points (1 child)
BlackHoleSurf • points (2 children)
Transparent aluminum??
Crow_eggs • points (4 children)
Hey remember this? https://youtube.com/shorts/Ru43fGOTMgk?si=bkgmfEOGpFAPwJbZ
Hard pass.
HedgehogTop5524 • points (2 children)
Oh my God, that video made me sick to my stomach. I’m hard passing with you.
Initial_Style5592 • points (1 child)
Oh Christ… FINE, I’ll watch it 😩
Edit: it wasn’t that bad 🤷♂️
IntentionQuirky9957 • points (1 child)
UK gets earthquakes exactly how often? Asking for a friend.
SnooCookies6231 • points
Cushions left the building too!
Vesalii • points (1 child)
How the hell do they keep this up there with the buildings moving under wind and thermal expansion?
whatupwasabi • points (2 children)
One side is attached, the other has bearings/rollers and is allowed to move. It's also acrylic and has steel support rods underneath.
Vesalii • points
I found some explanation by the engineering team behind it. Apparently both ends are free floating.
SmallWaves314 • points (2 children)
Would love to see the engineering in that glass. Pretty cool
mykittenfarts • points
I’d watch a documentary on that.
insanelysane1234 • points
Reminds me of the huge aquarium in Berlin that suddenly and out of nowhere burst
LancelotAtCamelot • points (4 children)
I wonder if it'd be more likely to break from twisting and warping during an earthquake, because it spans two buildings that might sway slightly differently...
Wild-n-Idle • points (2 children)
The most destructive earthquake ever recorded in modern Britain was 142 years ago. It caused some chimneys to wobble and one guy bruised his elbow as he fell from his penny farthing.
BenderRodriguez14 • points (1 child)
I see you chose to leave out the devastating loss of tea that occurred on that tragic day, and all the lightly scalded hands that went with it. #neverforget
short_bus_genius • points (1 child)
You raise an interesting point…. Buildings sway with wind and other serviceability events. At least that’s what my structural engineer tells me.
I’m so curious to see the expansion joint on one side of the pool, that allows the two buildings to sway out of phase.
RoutineCloud5993 • points (1 child)
Oh yeah, proper earthquake hotspot. London gets them all the time
DrCuriousMind • points (1 child)
llama_ • points
This is the opening of a Final Destination movie
goth_nachos • points (1 child)
I mean even if they just put one of the firefighter nets underneath it just in case.
DrewMacOrange • points
Oh, and I can’t stress this enough, FUCK THAT.
Melodic-Pineapple294 • points
No thank you
Byx222 • points
I probably couldn’t even get myself to walk on that bridge.
PeterTheSmoker • points (1 child)
There's always that one guy who'll do something stupid because "funny". I don't trust people in such situations neither do I trust nature
krakenbeef • points (6 children)
We really don't have the weather for outside pools over here, let alone one that's so inaccessible for cleaning.
ClosedL00p • points (1 child)
Inaccessible? Not like those people needed a sherpa to get there or something
No_Research_4104 • points (1 child)
In the past you could have made a joke about this being a real extravagance for something that would only be used for one week of the year. Not so much now.
ThinkAboutThatFor1Se • points (1 child)
What? Lidos have been around since the Victorians in the 1800s.
London has loads of lidos, many of them 50-100yards long.
Superb-Demand-4605 • points * (edited 10h ago) (1 child)
I mean the past like 4-5 months has been perfect weather for this?
OverCategory6046 • points (2 children)
It's heated. The heating bill for it is nuts, £450 per day
Tricky-Gemstone • points (1 child)
That's actually not as much as I thought it would be.
icemixxy • points (3 children)
Wasn't there a movie about something exactly like this?
mcnuggets0069 • points (1 child)
There is an episode of Archer about it.
“Holy shit what kind of colossal idiot would build a pool like that?”
“I just want to go on record saying that a glass swimming pool on the penthouse balcony is without a doubt the absolute worst idea I’ve ever heard in my entire goddamn life. But you’re the men, so….”
FashionKing72 • points (1 child)
There was a movie with Rami Malek recently that featured this pool. It’s called The Amateur, he plays an assassin. Spoilers Some dude that killed his wife is swimming in this and he breaks it so the guy falls to his death
sabby55 • points
Pretend_Income_5312 • points (1 child)
The pool is made of 50 metric tons of acrylic and it's the largest load-bearing acrylic structure in the world. The thickness varies between 20-30cm. It was made in Colorado and shipped whole to London.
sunny42251 • points
Processing img 7bhifesehzvh1...
Bright-Strength4182 • points (10 children)
I don't trust any engineering that much and even if I did, I don't trust any manufacturer that much and even if I did, I don't trust any installer that much.
myaltmusicalt • points (3 children)
And even if I didn't, I don't trust ME that much.
DigitalAdon • points (2 children)
And even if I didn't I don't trust other people that much
No_Director_2570 • points (2 children)
And even if i did.. Who the fuck am i
SexyMonad • points (1 child)
And even if I am the fuck, then why am I in a pool with a bunch of dudes?
No_Director_2570 • points (1 child)
Are they.. Are they cool dudes?
ThoughtsOfALayman • points (1 child)
Obviously, they're in a pool
hashbrr • points (2 children)
You don’t trust you? You think you’d fall out all on your own?
myaltmusicalt • points (2 children)
Yes.
Humble-Reply228 • points (1 child)
This guy parties!
adowsleaday • points (1 child)
I don't trust tectonic plates that much. Even the ones that never seem to be doing anything much. I know they're just watching and waiting. Sneaky fucks.
SarcasmisEasier • points
Don't forget to not trust the financer. They've got a penny to save in all this too.
cr1515 • points
To add to this. I don't trust nature that much. Sure it could be 100% safe till nature does some dumb shit and humbled us.
gao7on • points (4 children)
For those living and working in city-centers, trusting engineering of elevators with our lives is a daily practice of faith. Just because you don't see the bottom, doesn't mean it's less dangerous... particularly older elevators that have been moving up and down on a few cables and gears for decades.
lizardfromsingapore • points (1 child)
Elevators statistically are safer than helicopters, cars, airplanes, bicycles
Testicular_Genocide • points (4 children)
Elevators are a much more common and understood technology. I would bet even a poorly maintained elevator has better odds of not failing unexpectedly.
IAmSpartacustard • points (2 children)
And you can design so the failure mode is stop is place. Can't do that with... a pool
fess89 • points (1 child)
Just put the pool inside the elevator, problem solved
pablotweek • points (1 child)
Correct and the genius of the design is its fail state is to just get stuck.
enviormental_UNIT • points (1 child)
Bridges are arguably much more common, and absurdly older technology than elevators. Just because the bridge is made out of aluminum doesn't change much, and having it filled with water is actually a much more stable load than normal bridges which are constantly being stressed with massive trucks and cars, then being unstressed when they drive off. Thats significantly harder on the material than this bridge, which is at an almost constant, predictable load.
This bridge was probably significantly simpler to design than something like the Golden Gate Bridge, or really any large bridge that has constant shifting loads in the hundreds of thousands of tons
BlinkWulf • points (1 child)
elevators have a 100 years of safety measures and are inspected at least annual and have to meet all sorts of stringent codes.
Thick_Still6981 • points (1 child)
No no you can trust the sturdy and reliable British engineering and safety practices.
Now, how far was Grenfall tower from this place again?
ailyara • points
You know them little glass pop-out things they got at the top of the sears tower, I barely trusted -that- and that wasn't even 1/100th as frighting as this, and I could barely stand on it for 10 seconds before I had to get out. Groups of people stand out there to get pictures and have for years, so why does my brain tell me its instantly gonna fail when I step out there? Illogical I know, but too scary for me. This thing? I don't think you could pay me to swim across, my arms just wouldn't let me.
paunnn • points (1 child)
Even the material itself could be low key compromised.
North_Complaint_2135 • points (1 child)
Trusting glass is always wild