Watch This 70th-Floor Infinity Pool Sway in the Wind

Strong winds in Melbourne turned one of the world’s tallest infinity pools into a wave pool, a now-viral video shows, though the building’s contractor said there were no structural issues.

Viewers were alarmed by the footage, which was posted late last month by Australian rapper Illy on Instagram Stories. The building appeared to sway, creating a disorienting ripple effect in the 70th floor pool of the Australia 108 residence in Melbourne.

“Reckon it was windy in Melbourne today,” Illy wrote on the story, sharing the clip on Twitter too.

The video was reposted on Reddit, where it also attracted comments from people who said they were former residents of the building.

Gusts of up to 100 kilometers per hour hit Melbourne’s central business district on the day of the footage, according to 10 News First Melbourne. 

At 318 meters (1,043 feet), Australia 108 was said to be the “highest residences” in the Southern Hemisphere when it was built. It boasted a twin infinity pool that the developer, World Class Global, said in February was the highest in an apartment setting. 

But soon after residents moved into the building in 2019, the management was hounded by complaints of a “cracking” sound when it was windy. 

“I can't live like this. I don't feel safe and I can’t sleep every time I hear the noise,” an unnamed resident was quoted as saying. 

The higher the building is, however, the more prone it is to swaying. According to engineering consulting firm Rowan Williams Davies and Irwin, a 1,000-foot building can move a couple of inches on a typical breezy day. 

According to the New York Times, even movement of about two feet does not present a safety hazard, but might make people uneasy. So building developers have opted for stabilizing technology such as installing giant counterweights or a dampening system that pulls back the building into its place on a windy day. 

In response to a request for comment about the infinity pool footage, Multiplex, the contractor that built Australia 108, said the movement was normal.

“We appreciate the concern some residents will have about movement and noise generated in extreme winds, however there are absolutely no structural issues at play,” a spokesperson from Multiplex told VICE World News. 

“Buildings are designed to move in extreme wind, and the building is simply behaving as it should,” the statement said.

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