Houston’s Market Square Tower is turning heads—and craning necks—with a cantilevered rooftop pool that extends 10 feet over the edge of the 40-story building.
The pool, which is open only to residents and their guests, is said to be the tallest pool in Texas, and the only glass-bottomed one in Houston. The cantilevered portion is an acrylic bubble 6 inches thick, surrounded on each side by steel-reinforced concrete.
The design was inspired by a similar concept in Dubai and executed by Kudela & Weinheimer Landscape Architects for Woodbranch Management. “This got mentioned in the meeting [between the designers and developers], and the next thing you know, the conversation kind of took off,” says Philip Schneidau, president of Woodbranch Management. “It’s never been done here in the States. And after a lot of discussion over a lot of weeks, we said, ah, what the hell, let’s go for it.”
The decision has resulted in word-of-mouth buzz for the tower, which has been featured on the Today show and Good Morning America, and in viral videos online.
Market Square Tower also offers a resident lounge, fitness room, fire pit, and outdoor kitchens on its rooftop terrace. The indoor amenity complex on the second floor features virtual golf, basketball, a movie theater, a second pool, and wine storage lockers for rent, among other services.
Woodbranch expects Market Square Tower to be leased up by early fall, a full season before the firm's initial projections.
