"Bottomless" rooftop pool at a Hong Kong design hotel – swimming feels like floating in midair

Reported and photographed by Reporter You Ru / Hong Kong




A 29-floor hotel boasts a transparent bottomless pool.

Looking up on the streets of Wan Chai, besides the towering skyscrapers that seem to pierce the sky, one of the most astonishing sights is this: a swimmer taking a dip in a pool nearly 30 floors up, with sunlight streaming through the transparent bottom, their strokes visible to pedestrians below. This is the InterContinental Hotels Group’s first “Indigo Hotel” in Hong Kong, which just opened in May 2013. Its architectural style draws inspiration from the historical and cultural elements of Wan Chai, and it’s hard not to feel the district’s unique character around every corner once inside.

The hotel’s glass façade is designed around the theme of a golden dragon, with its scales serving as exterior decorations. These not only create a sparkling effect under sunlight but also effectively reduce direct sunlight entering the interior, cutting down air-conditioning energy use for environmental sustainability. Upon entering, guests are greeted by a vibrant lobby and a high-ceilinged atrium. Yang Baoyi, the Indigo Hotel’s marketing and communications manager, said, “The moment you step into the atrium, it’s to preserve the design of the traditional old housing courtyards of Wan Chai.” These historic light wells, originally created for ventilation and daylight, now spiral upwards through the modern hotel, offering a surreal sense of time travel.


▲ The hotel reception desk.


▲ Pillows in the hotel designed with a vintage flair.


▲ % [Text garbled]



                     ▲ % [Text garbled]


The 29-floor Indigo Hotel has 138 uniquely designed rooms. Their interiors are inspired by stories of the Wan Chai neighborhood, combining local culture and creativity. In addition to commissioning local artists to create mosaic murals in the rooms, the floors are also divided into three themes: Old Wan Chai Post Office, Butterfly, and Flying Dragon – representing the past, present, and future of Wan Chai. This allows guests to experience their neighborhood as if traveling through different times.


▲ The deluxe room at Indigo features floor-to-ceiling windows, offering sweeping views of the cityscape.


▲ Goldfish-shaped pillows, symbolizing the traditional wish for abundance.

 
▲ Chinese tea sets also blend tradition with a modern twist.


▲ A blue human figure statue, inspired by Lam Cho, a successor of Wong Fei-hung and a legendary master of Hung Gar kung fu.


▲ The living area of the deluxe suite. The mosaic wall art behind it depicts a street view of Hong Kong.


▲ Rooms are designed in a straight layout so that guests can watch TV from anywhere.


▲ The room offers a variety of drinks and alcoholic beverages.

 
▲ Shells are the main visual motif, creating a marine atmosphere on the walls.


▲ Out the window, you can see some of Hong Kong’s most expensive residences built halfway up the mountain.

Inside the guest rooms, the Indigo deluxe rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows for a panoramic view of the bustling city. The room designs also incorporate art pieces blending old and new, reflecting the environment of Wan Chai. Among them, the blue human figure statue is inspired by the story of Lam Cho, a successor of Wong Fei-hung and master of Hung Gar kung fu, while the Chinese tea set by the sofa also fuses tradition with modernity.

Additionally, the most jaw-dropping feature is the edgeless glass-bottom pool on the 29th floor. Breaking from the usual concept of infinity pools, this pool gives the illusion of having no bottom, allowing swimmers to gaze down through the transparent glass at the vibrant nightlife of Wan Chai. At night, the pool glows brilliantly with lighting effects, reminiscent of a radiant pearl appearing alongside a Chinese dragon.


▲ % [Text garbled]



▲ The pool appears to have no bottom, offering clear views of Wan Chai’s lively nightlife through the transparent glass.