Stockholm May Design an Infinity Pool Along the Baltic Sea

Highways—however useful and necessary they are in transporting cars in and around urban cities—are generally unattractive. It's even more of an aesthetic concern if the highway occupies a space with some of the most dramatic views in and around the area. That's what led the award-winning Stockholm-based firm Ulf Mejergren Architects (UMA) to reimagine a 3,200-foot-long (0.62-mile) stretch of highway that runs through the heart of Stockholm. They are proposing to do so in an unconventional way: by designing an infinity pool above the stretch of road.

Södermalm is an island-neighborhood in central Stockholm, making it a heavily trafficked area for cars to zip through. Route 222, which hugs the northeast coast of the small borough, connects people to Stockholm's Old Town, a location as famous for its history as it is for its charming architecture. As such, the seven-lane motorway also looks out toward the Baltic Sea, as well as some of the most spectacular views of the city—sights that are currently being underutilized because of the highway itself.

A look underneath the proposed infinity pool, where locker rooms will exist for the public to use.

In an effort to reclaim the spectacular views, UMA has proposed designing a public space that would not affect the highway but would open up the space to tourists and locals alike. The infinity pool would be built right above Route 222, making it feel as if visitors were swimming through the Baltic Sea itself. Which, in many ways, they would be, due to the fact that water from the sea would be funneled through a nearby water treatment facility before entering the public pool. Waste heat from the water treatment plant would warm the pool, making it much more tolerable for the public to enjoy. In the winter, the water would freeze, allowing visitors to ice-skate while taking in the views of the city. Below the space (yet still above the highway), guests would be able to change in locker rooms. Neither the local government nor UMA has announced if or when the project could be approved.