(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Chinese company in Chengdu turned a drained swimming pool into a temporary office. A staff member from the Luban Decoration Group shared a viral video that shows people working from inside a swimming pool, according to the South China Morning Post.

The gym, pool and office are all on the same floor. Staff enter the pool office through a glass door. The pool's original structure remains. Signs like“swimming area” and“deep water 1.55m” are still visible. The company has been using it for two months.

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Employees reach their desks using the pool's ladders. A worker explained the unusual set-up was due to ongoing renovations.

Photos show desks arranged in five rows, with eight workstations each. There are floor sockets and extension wires.

One worker joked that it felt like sitting in a science fiction movie as the pool lanes under the desks made each space feel like a diving tank, SCMP reported. While many found the setup cool and unique, others raised serious concerns about fire safety.

A lawyer pointed out the risks of blocked exits and missing fire safety measures.

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“This sunken office set-up is truly unique. If you try to slack off, the boss just needs to take a few steps and the entire office is in view. It is even more effective than surveillance cameras!” SCMP quoted a social media user as saying.

“An underwater office might look trendy, but the humidity could cause rheumatism. Sitting for long hours in the deep end? My joints would not survive,” came from another.

Toilet became homes

In 2013, the BBC reported that some people in London were turning old public toilets into homes and businesses to cope with rising property prices.

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The report referred to Peter Tomlinson, who used his savings to convert a toilet near Oxford Circus into a coffee and sandwich shop, spending over £100,000 (around ₹1 crore). Tomlinson even turned old urinals into table tops.

Architect Laura Jane Clark spent £60,000 (around ₹60 lakh) turning a toilet in Crystal Palace into a one-bedroom flat. Her living room was once a gents' toilet. The attendant's office became her bathroom.

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