Transforming a terrace into a swimming pool with a movable pool floor: the essentials
Transforming a terrace into a swimming pool, or a swimming pool into a terrace, is no longer an architectural compromise but a proven technical solution that Aqualift has been mastering for more than 25 years. A world leader in movable pool floors, Aqualift has completed more than 1,000 installations. A movable pool floor is an immersible platform that can be adjusted to the desired height and disappears completely when raised, creating a flat, dry terrace. This article explains how this convertible swimming pool works, the available sizes and configurations, and projects completed in Paris, on the Mediterranean coast and at the foot of Mont Blanc, as well as the safety features designed with children in mind.
The aim is to give you a clear understanding of what a movable-floor pool can offer before you embark on a project.
Why choose a movable pool floor rather than a traditional swimming pool?
A conventional pool forces you to choose between keeping your outdoor space as it is and dedicating an area to swimming all year round, including outside the swimming season. A movable floor removes that dilemma. In its raised position, the platform creates a flat, dry and walkable surface that can be used as a genuine entertaining terrace or additional outdoor living space.
When lowered, it gives you access to the pool, with the added benefit of adjustable water depth to suit different activities: a paddling pool for young children, a swimming lane for adults, or an intermediate depth for water aerobics or volleyball.
For an indoor swimming pool, a movable floor changes the very purpose of the room. When closed, it turns the pool into a walkable floor, making the room a fully usable living space again rather than a volume of water all year round. In practical terms, closing the pool also reduces ambient humidity thanks to the movable floor’s surface, and removes the need for a separate pool cover or alarm system: indoors, the movable floor directly replaces this equipment.
This reversibility changes the very nature of the product: a movable-floor swimming pool is no longer a fixed installation, but a flexible space that adapts to the season, the occasion and the age of its users.
One of its advantages is easier maintenance. When raised, the floor acts as an airtight cover: it limits evaporation and heat loss, while preventing leaves and dust from contaminating the water. As a result, heating and water-treatment costs for a variable-depth swimming pool are generally lower than for a conventional uncovered pool.
How many seconds does it take to transform the space?
Aqualift’s movable pool floor works with cables secured beneath the pool coping and operated by hydraulic cylinders. The mechanism is derived from industrial technologies that have been used for decades in the marine industry, on ferries for loading vehicles and on aircraft carriers for lifting aircraft. This technical heritage explains the system’s stability: the movable floor behaves like a cable-suspended bridge, with strength and rigidity comparable to a residential floor. The platform moves vertically as required and can stop at any intermediate height.
What sizes and configurations are possible?
Three product ranges meet very different needs:
- The Easylift range is designed for rectangular pools of up to 32 m². This standardised solution helps optimise manufacturing costs.
- The ready-to-install Serenity range is designed for larger rectangular pools, up to 75 m² (15 x 5 metres), allowing you to create an outdoor living area without having to choose between a garden and a swimming pool.
- The Liberty range has no restrictions on shape or dimensions. It has been used for projects as varied as a swimming pool suspended on a hillside in the Alpes-Maritimes and an indoor-outdoor hotel pool divided into two independent pools in a mountain hotel.
For turnkey projects, the Misspool movable-floor pool combines the pool and movable floor in a single product, with sizes ranging from 4 to 32 m². Each movable floor is designed to support an allowable load of 100 to 150 kg/m², depending on the range and intended use.
Examples of swimming pools transformed into terraces
A swimming pool hidden beneath the terrace of an urban garden in Paris
In the south-west of the capital, a 10 m² Minipool pool has been integrated into a landscaped garden with timber decking. When closed, the movable floor restores the garden’s full usable surface without altering its appearance. When open, it reveals a compact swimming pool. This movable-floor pool in Paris shows that even a small urban space can accommodate a variable-depth swimming pool, ready to be enjoyed whenever you wish.
The Mediterranean: a terrace pool with a movable floor overlooking the sea
On the French Riviera, this Liberty movable-floor project combines a pool that can be concealed beneath the terrace with uninterrupted views of the Mediterranean. The movable-floor system allows the entire pool area to be reclaimed, making the most of the terrace while preserving an elegant aesthetic with marble surfacing. This Mediterranean movable-floor project demonstrates that a movable floor can be integrated into both renovation and new-build projects without compromising the architecture or appearance of the setting.
Mont Blanc: a bespoke indoor-outdoor movable floor for a five-star hotel
In the heart of the Alps, the five-star Armancette hotel commissioned a bespoke Liberty movable floor, divided into an outdoor pool and an indoor pool, each with its own mechanism. A movable partition that separates the two areas in winter demonstrates the level of complexity that the bespoke Liberty range can accommodate, including demanding and complex professional applications. See the Armancette hotel project.
Is a movable pool floor safe for children and compliant with standards?
Aqualift’s movable pool floor complies with AFNOR standard NF P90-308 for pool safety covers, one of the four solutions recognised under the French law of 3 January 2003 on private swimming-pool safety. A manual locking system prevents the platform from being lowered accidentally, and access to the pool is impossible when it is fully closed. Parents can also set the water depth to paddling-pool level while young children are learning to swim.
Aurélie and Yohann Lagord, owners of the Les Bois Flottais hotel on Île de Ré, chose a safe, convertible swimming pool from the Serenity range for this very reason: their granddaughter could not yet swim. In their account, the adjustable depth removed much of the stress associated with supervision while also enhancing the value of their property.
Get your project started
Every project is unique, so the design process begins with a tailored technical assessment. An Aqualift engineer will analyse your space, the available area and your requirements to identify the most suitable solution, from the Minipool range to bespoke Liberty installations.
Do you have a movable-floor swimming pool project?
Speak to an Aqualift engineer to assess its feasibility and explore a solution that integrates seamlessly with your outdoor space.
FAQ: transforming a terrace into a swimming pool with a movable floor
Can a movable pool floor be installed on an existing terrace?
Yes, subject to a feasibility study by our teams, covering the geometry, access and waterproofing.
Does a movable-floor swimming pool take up more space than a conventional terrace?
No. When closed, the movable floor occupies exactly the same area as a traditional terrace, with no loss of usable space.
Is a movable pool floor suitable for people with reduced mobility?
Yes. Its adjustable depth provides gradual access to the water, making it a sought-after solution for accessible swimming pools, including therapeutic use.
What is the difference between a retractable swimming pool and a conventional pool cover?
A conventional cover conceals the pool but does not change how the space can be used. A movable floor physically transforms the pool into a walkable surface that is level with the surrounding floor.
