Set to be developed in the East River near the Manhattan Bridge, the facility aims to show that filtering river water is possible without chemicals, so the water in the pool will come directly from the river.

Construction of the final pool will begin in August with the installation of the first water purification system. The next step will be the construction of the pool basin. The coming months will be treated as a test. The operation of the unit and the filtration system will be tested, and if all goes according to plan, New Yorkers will be able to swim in the new pool in 2025.

The pool was designed by PlayLab in collaboration with architect Dong-Ping Wong. The concept was already developed 13 years ago, but due to financial reasons, realisation did not happen quickly. It is only now that the project has received the support of the city and state authorities, who have subsidised the investment with a massive $16 million.

The swimming pool is intended to be a “demonstration facility”. If it works well, filters the water effectively and the public likes it, similar pools could be built in other cities around the country. The water will be filtered by a system consisting of three layers. The originator of the solution, Friends of POOL, patented the solution in 2018.

Behind the idea of building the pool is also the desire to integrate residents. The facility is intended to be versatile, with swimming lessons, sporting events and children’s activities organised here. In an era of climate change, the pool is also intended to be a place for New Yorkers to cool down on hot days.

+POOL co-founder and architect Dong-Ping Wong, however, has concerns about whether the completed project will live up to the social intent behind the idea of building a public pool in this form. The architect has issued a statement pointing out his concerns and cautioning investors not to give in to economic temptations and actually make the place accessible to residents regardless of their ethnicity or economic status.