How PAL® Projects Can Elevate Urban Living and Drive Economic Growth

• Crystal Lagoons has turned Colombia into one of its most promising markets in Latin America, demonstrating how a crystalline lagoon can accelerate sales, increase real estate value, and respond to the demand for beach life.

Colombia has become one of the most dynamic markets for Crystal Lagoons in Latin America. The combination of a privileged climate, urban growth, a strong tourism vocation, and high demand for differentiated experiences has created the ideal setting for Crystal Lagoons® technology to transform real estate projects into beach lifestyle destinations.

The best example is Baía Kristal, in Cartagena de Indias, the first development in the country featuring a crystalline lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology. Its commercial performance confirms the so-called “lagoon effect”: the ability of this anchor amenity to increase attraction, accelerate sales, and elevate a project’s perceived value.

Baía Kristal and the commercial power of a crystalline lagoon

Baía Kristal, developed by AED Constructores, marked a turning point in the Colombian market. Its 7.93-acre crystalline lagoon, equivalent to 6.1 American football fields or 25.7 Olympic swimming pools, became the visual, social, and commercial heart of the project.

The figures are compelling:

• 1,560 apartments sold in just 2.3 years, equivalent to an average of 56 homes sold per month.
• The top-selling project through the close of its commercialization in December 2023.
• The sales value per square meter of the project’s homes doubled over a 2.3-year period, compared to similar projects that grew between 5% and 15%.
• The average sales price per square meter increased by 33.77% between 2022 and 2023, when the Crystal Lagoons® amenity began operating.
• The first stage had a target of selling 60% in one year, which was achieved in just 45 days.
• The first phase of the project quickly reached 95% of homes sold, leading the developer to launch a second commercialization phase.
• Units sold grew by 150% since launch.
• AED Constructores had projected a seven-year sales period for the first phases of the project, which sold out in just 2.3 years.
• The project’s sales success led the developer to sign a master agreement with Crystal Lagoons for 13 new lagoon projects across Colombia.
• Baía Kristal commands a significant premium, generating, on average, 25.34% more value compared to similar projects in the Northern Zone and surrounding areas, highlighting amenities as a key competitive advantage.
• The project’s exceptional financial validation drove the creation of Kristal Malls, a 120,000 m² “Shopping Resort” in Cartagena that will feature a new lagoon as its commercial epicenter.
• Baía Kristal has been recognized as a Best Community Practice by the Colombian Chamber of Construction (Camacol) and as a Sustainable Urbanism Success Story during Biopolis 2024, held within the framework of COP16, among other awards.

For real estate developers, these results demonstrate that a crystalline lagoon is not just a landscape feature. It is a tool for positioning, differentiation, and sales velocity.

“The turquoise lagoon was a decisive differentiating factor that contributed to the exceptional organic positioning of this project,” explains Juan Pablo García, CEO of AED Constructores.

Colombia seeks year-round beach lifestyle

The success of Crystal Lagoons in Colombia responds to a clear need: buyers are not only looking for square meters, but for experiences. They want wellness, recreation, community, connection with water, and a lifestyle associated with tourist destinations.

In coastal cities such as Cartagena, the lagoon enhances the natural appeal of the surroundings. In inland areas, it can bring beach life to places far from the sea, creating an aspirational experience that is difficult to replicate.

This combination turns Crystal Lagoons® technology into a competitive advantage for residential, tourism, mixed-use, and commercial projects.

Kristal Malls and the reinvention of retail in Colombia

The impact of Crystal Lagoons in Colombia is not limited to the residential segment. Kristal Malls, in Cartagena de Indias, represents a new stage: the transformation of traditional retail into a destination for entertainment, tourism, shopping, and beach life.

The project is positioned as the largest shopping center in the Colombian Caribbean and the country’s first Shopping Resort. Its centerpiece will be a large crystalline lagoon developed under the Public Access Lagoons® model, also known as PAL® projects, which will allow ticketed access and recreational activities year-round.

Kristal Malls brings together figures that reinforce its scale:

• The project began its construction phase with an impressive 55% of its units sold in advance.
• A case that demonstrates how turquoise-water technology can save and reinvent the shopping center industry in the face of e-commerce growth, transforming malls into multifunctional, publicly accessible entertainment destinations.
• A 731-acre development.
• 110,000 m² of leasable area.
• A crystalline lagoon of more than 20,000 m².
• More than 100 national and international brands associated with the project.
• A 150-room hotel.
• Offices, apartments, healthcare centers, a movie theater, an amusement park, restaurants, and event spaces.

This progress confirms that the “lagoon effect” can also be capitalized on in retail. The lagoon not only attracts visitors; it redefines the shopping experience and transforms the mall into a multifunctional destination.

A scalable model for new markets

The success of Baía Kristal led to new agreements to develop projects in cities such as Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Pereira, and Cartagena de Indias. In addition, Crystal Lagoons has moved forward with new complexes in regions such as Cundinamarca, Meta, Tolima, and Valle del Cauca, reinforcing the country’s potential as an expansion platform.

The key lies in scalability. Crystal Lagoons® technology makes it possible to create large crystalline bodies of water with low resource consumption, using up to 33 times less water than an 18-hole golf course, up to 100 times fewer chemicals than a traditional swimming pool, and only 2% of the energy required by conventional swimming pool filtration systems.

Colombia as a regional showcase

The Colombian case demonstrates that crystalline lagoons can transform the logic of real estate development. Baía Kristal proved its impact on sales and property appreciation. Kristal Malls is demonstrating its ability to reinvent retail and create new urban hubs for entertainment.

For real estate developers, the opportunity is clear: to incorporate an anchor amenity capable of accelerating sales, strengthening the project’s identity, and responding to the growing demand for beach life.

In Colombia, Crystal Lagoons is not only changing the real estate landscape. It is demonstrating that the beach can become the center of a new way of living, investing, and developing cities.

Original content.

• Public Access Lagoons® projects are redefining urban life by bringing turquoise-water beaches to the heart of cities, creating new hubs for entertainment, wellness, and real estate value.

Around 200 years ago, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, England made a decision that would change urban development forever: bringing a piece of the forest into the heart of London through the creation of large public parks. That innovation not only transformed the gray landscape shaped by factories; it also democratized access to nature and dramatically improved citizens’ quality of life.

Today, major cities are facing a transformation of similar magnitude. The accelerated pace of urban life and the environmental crisis demand an evolution in the way public spaces are planned.

The answer to this global challenge does not come in the form of traditional green spaces, but through crystalline water and white-sand beaches. It is the boom of urban beachfront living, driven by the most disruptive business model of Crystal Lagoons® technology: Public Access Lagoons® developments, also known as PAL® projects. These complexes open up a unique opportunity:

• Create memorable destinations within the city.
• Increase the appeal of urban or suburban land.
• Incorporate an anchor amenity capable of generating a constant flow of visitors.
• Differentiate real estate projects from the competition.
• Activate new revenue streams year-round.

Beach life within everyone’s reach

One of the greatest attributes of Public Access Lagoons® projects is their ability to democratize access to world-class recreational spaces. Unlike private amenities, this model allows anyone to access these spaces by purchasing a ticket and enjoy experiences traditionally associated with resorts or tourist destinations.

These projects can integrate multiple activities in a single place:

• Swimming and water sports.
• Kayaking, paddleboarding, and recreational activities.
• White-sand beaches.
• Restaurants, bars, and terraces.
• Events, concerts, and brand experiences.
• Family activities and wellness programs.
• Venues for weddings, fairs, and corporate gatherings.

Thus, the lagoon becomes a hub for social gathering, entertainment, and wellness.

Fewer trips, lower carbon footprint

The impact is not only urban or real estate-related. It is also environmental. By bringing the beach experience closer to cities, PAL® projects reduce the need for long-distance travel to coastal destinations.

This model can generate a reduction of more than 40% in the carbon footprint associated with tourism and transportation to beaches, equivalent to nearly 14 million tons of CO₂.

For developers and investors, this makes PAL® projects an alternative aligned with the new demands for:

• Sustainability.
• Urban efficiency.
• Reduction of travel distances.
• Environmental responsibility.
• Creation of social and territorial value.

From vacant land to entertainment hubs

Another strategic advantage of the model is its ability to transform underutilized spaces. Vacant land, unused shopping malls, amusement parks, racetracks, golf courses, casinos, zoos, aquariums, and even inactive urban areas can be repurposed into vibrant entertainment destinations.

For real estate developers, this opens up a new asset category: projects capable of generating traffic, recurring revenue, and value for the surrounding area.

The lagoon functions as both a visual and commercial anchor, while the ecosystem surrounding it activates multiple revenue streams:

• Ticket sales.
• Food and beverage.
• Events.
• Space rentals.
• Water sports.
• Retail.
• Naming rights.
• Memberships and special programs.

An internationally recognized model

PAL® projects have also received international recognition for their environmental and urban contribution. Among them are the Green World Awards and the Green World Champion of Champions, which recognized the potential of these developments to reduce the carbon footprint and promote a more sustainable entertainment model.

These awards reinforce a key idea: this is not just about creating artificial beaches. It is about developing high-impact urban infrastructure capable of improving quality of life, activating local economies, and offering memorable experiences year-round.

An opportunity for real estate developers

In an increasingly competitive market, developers need value propositions that combine differentiation, profitability, and purpose. Public Access Lagoons® projects meet this demand with a model that transforms the relationship between the city, water, and entertainment.

Urban beachfront living is no longer a distant aspiration. It is a new way of designing destinations within the city, bringing water closer to millions of people and creating value for communities, investors, and territories.

Powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology, PAL® projects are setting the new standard for real estate amenities: accessible, sustainable, memorable, and commercially powerful spaces.

The beach no longer has to be far away. Now it can be at the heart of the city.

Original content.

• From 5,400 sq ft to 1 acre: Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ is emerging as the new amenity trend for urban, multifamily, and boutique projects, offering a more efficient value proposition and leaving commercial swimming pools as a thing of the past.

Leading international media outlets are highlighting a groundbreaking concept in architecture and urban development: Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™. This time, it was Clarín, one of Argentina’s most important newspapers, that featured it as a new trend in the real estate market, with the conversation already amplified through republished articles on other platforms.

However, the attention is not limited to a single country: the smallest format of these crystalline lagoons has already generated significant media reach, with coverage across multiple outlets in the U.S., Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Latin America, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other markets.

Why they are becoming a trend: when the amenity stops being “decoration”

The logic behind the editorial interest is clear: the traditional swimming pool has become commoditized. When “everyone offers the same thing,” the amenity stops moving the needle in terms of sales, pricing, and preference. In this context, Clarín describes Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ as an alternative to traditional swimming pools and conventional amenities, precisely because of its ability to create a beach-like experience in compact spaces.

For real estate developers, this translates into a practical advantage: an amenity that creates identity, strengthens the commercial narrative, and helps sustain the project’s perceived value in competitive markets.

What is Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ (and what sizes are available)?

Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ is a sustainable, patent-protected product designed to allow projects of different scales to incorporate a beach lifestyle experience. The proposal is based on standardized formats that accelerate design and implementation.

The standard sizes available for Small Lagoons are: 5,400 sq ft, 0.25 acres, 0.5 acres, 0.75 acres, and 1 acre. 

The technological difference compared to a commercial swimming pool

Part of the “why” (and of the media interest) lies in the construction and operational paradigm shift behind these smaller lagoons. Instead of following the traditional logic of painted concrete + large filtration systems + machine rooms, Small Lagoons by Crystal Lagoons™ incorporates:

• A liner system, eliminating the need for repainting and concrete repairs.
• Ultrasonic flocculation, reducing the infrastructure and energy associated with filtration.
• The 5,400 sq ft model, positioned as a replacement for traditional commercial swimming pools.

Benefits for developers: commercial impact + efficiency per square foot

The advantage of this multinational innovation company’s latest model is not merely aesthetic. The proposal is designed to maximize the return on common areas, turning the heart of the project into a destination amenity, an anchor that drives foot traffic, encourages visitors to linger, and sparks conversation.

Key benefits for real estate:

• Construction and maintenance costs: significantly lower construction cost of a swimming pool of the same size.
• Less infrastructure complexity thanks to its construction and operational logic.
• More than swimming: a beach-like experience, recreational uses, and social activation. 

In marketing terms, the value is usually concentrated in three “levers”:

1. Immediate differentiation through visual iconicity: turquoise waters + white sand.
2. Stronger commercial storytelling: selling a “lifestyle,” not just amenities.
3. Versatility across project types: urban, multifamily, boutique, mixed-use, and hospitality.

Sustainability and efficiency: a key factor in permitting, CAPEX, and ESG

Crystal Lagoons® technology is a sustainable solution thanks to its resource efficiency. It requires up to 50 times less energy than traditional filtration systems. It also consumes up to 100 times fewer chemicals than conventional swimming pools, 33 times less water than a golf course, and 40% less water than a park of the same size.

This is complemented by a relevant point for developers’ risk management: the company has a portfolio of more than 2,200 patents in 135 countries, supporting standardization, know-how, and technological protection.

Argentina: from mega-projects to compact formats

The coverage in Argentina provides context for two simultaneous movements:

• The growth of the compact format (5,400 sq ft–1 acre) as a trend.
• The continuity of larger-scale lagoon projects in gated communities and residential developments, with cases mentioned in the local market such as Terralagos, Lagoon Pilar, Openn Pilar and Remeros Beach.

A new standard in amenities

Market demands have changed, and consumers are unquestionably prioritizing developments that offer immersive, safe, and environmentally responsible experiences. For real estate developers focused on high profitability and innovation, the size options ranging from 5,400 sq ft to 1 acre represent more than just an aesthetic upgrade; they are a proven business strategy that redefines the standard of urban and suburban living worldwide.

Clarín