Architects and designers are making a statement by exploring new ways of incorporating glass into modern constructions. With so many advances in technology and design knowing no limits, glass is no longer a material restricted only to windows and doors.

From switchable smart glass and climate control glass, to fire resistant and security glass, there are so many different applications that glass has become a design feature itself, something which is starkly evident at the new Embassy Gardens development in London.

The development by architects HAL is a picture of modern building design at its best and shows a ‘thinking outside the box’ approach when it comes to using glass.

The development, consisting of up to 1,750 new homes, over 20,000 sqm of office space, features a 25 metres long, five metres wide and three metres deep glass ‘sky pool’.

Designed by architecture firm Arup Associates, the pool is intended to resemble an aquarium, suspended between apartment blocks. The pool is encased in completely transparent 20cm glass and permits residents to swim between the two buildings.

The residential blocks, developed by the Ballymore Group, feature a rooftop bar, spa and orangery.

Ballymore Group chairman and CEO, Sean Mulryan says: “My vision for the sky pool stemmed from a desire to push the boundaries in the capability of construction and engineering,” reports Dezeen.com, “I wanted to do something that had never been done before.”

The pool has itself become the main attraction of the development because it is so unique. By using glass the pool gives users a bird’s eye view of London from all angles. It looks like it is floating in mid air, rising above the hustle and bustle of the world below, something which could only be achieved by using glass.

“The Sky Pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade. The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London,” he added.

ESG also provide the ideal solution for glass balconies which greatly enhance both the aesthetics and comfort of modern buildings.