CLIENT: Stu Weissman Productions
DATE: October 8-10, 2013
LOCATION: New York City
PROJECT TYPE: Special Event, Engineering
JEREMY THOM DESIGNS ROLE: Overall & Site Designer
Diana Nyad completed her non-stop swim from Cuba to Florida and announced shortly afterwards that her next record-breaking attempt would be a 48 hour swim in a custom pool in Herald Square outside Macys in New York to raise money and awareness for the victims of hurricane Sandy. The site was designed around a pool brought in from Italy, with additional press and viewing platforms built onto decking abutting the pool edges, with locker rooms in an enclosed backstage area, along with signage and printed masking for the sponsors, Proctor & Gamble. The build took less than 36 hours, a shorter time than Diana was in the water, including the time taken to heat the pool (filled with water from a New York City hydrant) to 84º, using a boiler in a 40’ container usually used for apartment blocks with broken heating systems.
Diana successfully completed her 48 hour marathon swim. The event was deemed a huge success and the pool and all surrounding structures were gone within 24 hours.