At Pier 35 on the East River, along the shores of Manhattan, a project is taking shape that challenges New York’s historic relationship with the waters surrounding it. Plus Pool — or +POOL — is a concept for a floating swimming pool that filters river water to supply itself with clean water, an idea by architect Dong-Ping Wong and his architecture studio, Food New York. The project originated in 2010 with the aim of transforming a place traditionally hostile to bathing into a safe, accessible and sustainable environment.
The proposed structure has a total surface area of approximately 836 m² and, based on strict and precise functional criteria, takes the shape of a cross. Thanks to this shape, the floating pool incorporates four distinct areas without interference between them: sports swimming, family recreation, children’s activities, and relaxation and quiet immersion. This compartmentalisation ensures that the pool can accommodate a wide variety of users in a versatile and inclusive manner.
What sets Plus Pool apart from any other bathing infrastructure, however, is its filtration system, developed by Food New York in collaboration with the renowned engineering firm Arup. Drawing water directly from the East River, the Plus Pool system processes between 2.27 and 3.78 million litres of water daily.
This system removes bacteria, pathogens and contaminants through specialised progressive filtration membranes, without the need for chlorine or other chemical additives. The result is a continuous renewal cycle that returns water to the river cleaner than it was when taken in, meaning that the pool becomes an active environmental remediation device while users enjoy a safe swimming experience.
The Plus Pool project forms part of NY SWIMS, an initiative by New York State to promote equitable access to swimming across the city’s five boroughs. This initiative represents the largest investment in public swimming pools since the New Deal. Within this framework, Plus Pool brings together technological innovation, sustainability and accessibility.
By Tianshu Liu, Senior Architect, Architecture Department, Amusement Logic
Images: Food New York.
