World's Largest Swimming Pool

World's largest pool which cost $1bn and holds 66m gallons is so big you can even sail boats on it.

At the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile, a quick dip could well turn into a marathon. Swimming a length in this, the world's largest outdoor pool, would mean stroke after stroke for more than three fifths of a mile - that's 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. The enormous man-made lagoon is set halfway up the country's Pacific coast, in the city of Algarrobo, and is filled with 66 million gallons of crystal clear seawater. It also hold the Guinness record for the world's deepest - so if you don't feel like diving 115ft to the bottom, it might be best to bring some spare goggles.

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The pool opened in December 2006 after nearly five years of construction work and is said to have set developers back as much as £1billion. And on top of that eye-watering initial cost, it takes a further £2 million a year to keep it in working order. It uses a computer-controlled suction and filtration system to suck water in from the ocean at one end and pump it out at the other, while the sun warms it to 26C - nine degrees higher than the sea. The pool's incredible dimensions leave the next biggest floundering in its wake, with the Orthlieb in Morocco measuring a mere 1,575ft long.

                                                      Source : Dailymail.co.uk

Crystal Island - World's Largest Structure

Crystal Island is a building project in Moscow, Russia that is planned to have around 2,500,000 square metres (27,000,000 square feet) of floor space and a height of 450 metres (1,476 ft) designed by Norman Foster. At these dimensions upon completion it would be the largest structure (in floor space) on earth. The architectural firm behind the design is Foster and Partners.

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The tent-like superstructure would rise to 450 m, and form a breathable "second skin" and thermal buffer for the main building, shielding the interior spaces from Moscow’s weather. This second skin will be sealed in winter to minimise heat loss, and opened in the summer to naturally cool the interior. The building would be integrated into a new park, which would provide a range of activities throughout the year, with cross country skiing and ice skating in the winter.

The city within the building will house 900 luxury apartments, 3,000 hotel rooms, a theater, a fitness complex, a cinema, a museum and an international school for 500 students, not to mention countless stores.

The exterior facade will be solar responsive and will include solar panels which, along with wind turbines, will generate electricity for the huge tower. Natural ventilation will be provided thanks to numerous strategically placed large atriums. The internal environment will also have dynamic enclosure panels slotted into the structural framing that will allow daylight to penetrate deep into the heart of the structure; the panels will also be controlled to modify temperature inside the building – closed in winter for extra warmth and opened in summer to allow natural ventilation.

Later in 2009 the construction was postponed due to the global economic crisis.

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