Infinity London: sky-high pool, the City

London's reach-for-the-sky horizon seems to be getting taller every day, but new designs for Infinity London – the world's first sky-high 360-degree infinity pool – blow other new additions out of the water. Perched on top of a 55-storey building, 600,000 litres of perfectly clear water will illuminate London's skyline after sunset. Although the exact location hasn't been confirmed, the glowing pool is expected to dazzle the city's high-altitude visitors by day and night.

Designed by Compass Pools, the structure is made from cast acrylic rather than glass to make the water crystal-clear. The floor of the pool will be totally see-through too, so those below can watch the shadowy swimmers do their lengths up above. Designer and technical director of the project, Alex Kelsey, says: 'we wanted an uninterrupted view, both above and below the water.'

The best bit? Swimmers will access the pool through a spinning spiral staircase. Based on submarine door designs, the rotating staircase will rise from the pool floor allowing visitors to enter and exit easily.

In case things get windy 200m above the pavement, the pool will be linked to a computer-controlled system to ensure it stays at the perfect temperature – and to prevent water sloshing over the edge to the streets below. Plans are in place to heat the pool in an eco-friendly way too, using waste energy generated by the building's air-conditioning system.

If all goes to plan, construction will begin as early as 2020.