Construction is progressing on a prototype of +Pool, a first-of-its-kind floating public swimming pool designed to filter and purify water from New York City’s East River. New images released by the nonprofit Friends of +Pool showcase the structure’s current development at Bollinger Shipyard in Mississippi, ahead of its transport to NYC for further testing.

The prototype, dubbed Pool1, represents a single 2,000-square-foot rectangular section—one "arm"—of what will eventually become a 9,000-square-foot plus-shaped swimming facility. It will use a patented filtration system to transform river water into safe, non-chlorinated swimming water, marking a significant innovation in public water recreation.

Currently, a specially engineered barge is under construction to serve as the pool’s main platform. "We are currently designing the below-deck and above-deck components of our first facility for health agency review," said Kara Meyer, managing director of Friends of +Pool. "Thanks to the incredible support of our city and state partners, we are advancing this innovation so that New Yorkers can have safe ways to reconnect to their natural environment."

The barge’s top features a rectangular cutaway that will hold the pool, while the lower decks will house the filtration system and amenities like showers. The entire structure is expected to be dry-towed to a New York shipyard over a three-week journey this month, where it will remain ahead of final site testing in May 2026 off Pier 35 in Lower Manhattan.

Pending approval from New York City’s Department of Health, +Pool may open for public swimming in 2027. If successful, the full cross-shaped pool will follow under a separate permitting phase.

The project’s proprietary filtration system—developed in partnership with Arup—was already tested in the East River last summer. It uses a combination of strainers and UV light disinfection to ensure water safety.

+Pool originated in 2010, the brainchild of architect Dong-Ping Wong and co-founders Archie Lee Coates IV and Jeffrey Franklin of PlayLab, along with designer Oana Stănescu. They envisioned a future where New Yorkers could swim safely in their city’s waterways, drawing inspiration from the city’s long-standing public pool culture.

Realizing this vision required more than just design—it also meant influencing state policies. The project has helped redefine New York State Department of Health rules around unconventional bathing facilities, paving the way for more urban swimming initiatives under NY Swims and Let’s Swim NYC, launched in 2024 by Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams.

"A little over a year ago, there was no pathway to building this kind of innovation for NYC," said Friends of +Pool Board Chair George Fontas. "Thanks to the visionary leadership of Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, a massive interagency collaboration across city and state government has ushered in a new set of rules for engaging with the river in an effort to open up public waters across New York State."

Fontas emphasized that "+Pool remains committed to bringing river swimming back to NYC and advancing job creation through its annual operations."

The project continues to be seen as a model for reimagining urban waterfronts—one that combines community health, public recreation, and sustainable engineering.

Originally reported by Dezeen.