Sometimes, after a long summer day the only thing that will make you feel better is a cannonball into an ice cold pool or ocean. For a select few that’s easy, but not for those who live in New York City. Lucky for them, three young entrepreneurs have put their heads together and have drafted a plan for a swimming pool that will sit in the middle of the Hudson River, filtering the dirty river water into clean, swimmable water.
The “+ Pool” (pronounced “Plus Pool” since it is shaped in the form of a plus sign) has been created by architect Dong-Ping Wong and designers Jeffrey Franklin and Archie Lee Coates IV. The 9,000 square foot pool would be divided into a children’s pool, lap pool, lounge pool and sports pool, allowing a variety of pool goers to hop in and do what they want to do.
The projects is designed so that river water flows in through permeable walls, with filter layers that block bacteria, odors and contaminants to distribute safe swimming water that meets city, state and federal standards. According to the website, “this pool will be the first of it’s kind, which is of course very exciting, but really we just want to be able to swim in the river.” Do you blame them?
Living on a peninsula (Michigan) and 5 minutes from the St. Clair River that is infested by chemicals dumped from Canada, I can totally get down with an idea like this. I’m terrified of swimming in the dirty water out here, so rather than tearing up a forest and building a community swimming center, might as well use the existing water and filter some through to create a humongous swimming pool. Genius! Can someone do this in southeast Michigan?
What do you think? Would you take a dip in the + Pool once it’s built in the Hudson River?