Take Inspiration from Some Truly Amazing Balconies

When you’re designing a balcony, you want to create something that is truly unique and fits with your personality and the style of property. You don’t have to be restricted by traditional conventions or ideas of what other people have had in the past. In fact, you can be as creative as you want, although there may need to be some compromises on the structural side. If you’re lacking in ideas, here are some inspiring designs from across the globe of balconies that exist or didn’t quite make it off the planning table.

Ready for a Quick Dip

How about completing your balcony with a swimming pool enclosed by glass balustrades or a steel handrail? The apartment block in Mumbai was designed with 200 units, each with their own swimming pool balcony. If it ever gets off the drawing board, the Aquaria Grande will be 37 storeys high.

Not for the Faint-Hearted

Chicago’s Sears Tower has four enclosed glass balconies that jut out from the building on the 103rd floor. This is definitely not for anyone who has even the smallest fear of heights, as it’s 1,353ft up and the balconies come out by 4ft. Once you’re within the balcony, it gives the effect of floating on top of the city.

Compact but Unique

The architects behind an innovative apartment block in Slovenia won a design competition for their ideas. The two separate buildings house 30 apartments, some of which are extremely compact in size. However, the uniquely designed trapezoid balconies on the outside give an optical effect and create the illusion of more space.

Solving Parking Problems

People who live in flats and apartments will always understand the parking hassles that come with this. Either there’s no parking space at all, or it’s miles from the apartment and that means carrying shopping in between the two. An idea from a German architect is looking to solve these issues by designing a lift on the outside of a building. The resident takes their vehicle up to their level by the use of a car elevator. This keeps the car safe and enables you to unpack shopping or luggage more easily than making lots of separate trips.

Is It a Window Frame or a Balcony?

Space is often at a premium, especially within city centre apartments. An innovative concept of a window frame that opens out to create a fully functioning balcony could solve all these space problems. The product is called the Bloomframe balcony, and when property owners don’t want to use the balcony, it can simply be packed away again into the structure of the frame.

Now you’ve got some ideas, you can start to build up the designs for your own balcony. There are so many options to select from, including glass balustrades, wrought-iron railings or a steel handrail. Discussing your ideas with a specialist company will enable you to decide what’s realistic and which of your thoughts are not really feasible.