By Sarah Currier on February 5, 2024

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Rendering of the floating pool by the Brooklyn Bridge. (Photo: Family New York)

This innovative public pool design has been approved by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. What do you think of it?

The New York City-based organization + POOL has designed a floating pool that could soon provide New Yorkers with clean, free public swimming opportunities. The pool is equipped with expert filtration systems to remove harmful bacteria and contaminants from river water, leaving swimmers with clean and safe swimmable water.

nterestingly, the pool is shaped like an addition sign. + POOL chose this design so that each rectangular section of the pool could serve a different purpose. Once fully assembled, the 9,000-square-foot pool will have a designated section for kids, sports, laps, and lounging. The pool can also be reconfigured into an Olympic-length lap pool for swim meets.

Diagram of how the pool can be divided into four sections. (Photo: PlayLab)Diagram of the pool at a swim meet. (Photo: PlayLab)

The project is nearly 15 years in the making. + POOL started in 2010 when four designers had the idea to build a floating pool in New York City’s East River. In an effort to fund the project, + POOL became the first civic architecture project to launch through Kickstarter. Since 2010, + POOL has gone from its humble beginnings as a Kickstarter project to a successful nonprofit that is passionate about accessibility and conservation.[…]

Photo: Family New York

More: Floating Public Pool To Provide New Yorkers w/ Clean Urban Swimming