After more than a year of planning and seven months of building, the team at construction firm Hickory was finally able to test Melbourne’s first sky pool.
Suspended seven storeys high between two buildings at Dahua Group’s $300m Hawthorn Park development, the 25-metre lap pool features a clear acrylic bottom, giving swimmers a heart-stopping view of the landscaped gardens 18.5 metres below. An intrepid group of people from Hickory’s construction team tested the pool for the first time last week after filling it.
Project manager Julie Radonjic described the building of the sky pool as a sophisticated feat of engineering. The pool’s 50-tonne stainless steel frame was imported from Italy in two parts and winched into place using two cranes, with six bridge bearers allowing the structure to move independently of the two connecting buildings.
While the 25-metre lap pool has a capacity of 82,000 litres, the 35-metre family pool holds 75,000 litres and overlooks the leafy suburb of Hawthorn and the city skyline.
Constructed by Hickory for the Dahua Group, Hawthorn Park comprises of four interconnected residential buildings on a massive 12,600-square-metre site. The development offers 345 spacious dwellings spanning apartments, townhouses and retail tenancies.
While the sky pools are an attractive proposition for residents, exclusive facilities at the Hawthorn Park development also include fruit and vegetable gardens, private landscaped garden lounges and a wellness retreat encompassing a state-of-the-art gym, yoga studio and massage rooms.
