The Innovator's Dream

The story behind the founding of Crystal
Lagoons is an inspiring one.

Fernando Fischmann, the founder of Crystal Lagoons, had to overcome a series of difficulties to invent and
patent the technology that was able to make the development of sustainable crystalline lagoons feasible.
His ability to expand his business in both the local and international markets, within a brief period, has
made his story become a case study in many prestigious business universities around the world.

The Problem

The conception of Crystal Lagoons began when Fernando started planning the second home real estate development of San Alfonso del Mar, in Algarrobo, a small town on Chile’s central coast. Although the real estate site had a fantastic view of the sea and was close to the capital, only an hour and a half away from Santiago by car, the local shoreline was unattractive due to cold-water temperatures, as well as the dangerous waves and undercurrents, which posed a risk to bathers, who were forbidden to swim or practices watersports in the area.

Where others saw insurmountable problems, Mr. Fischmann saw an opportunity and envisioned the creation of an enormous lagoon with crystalline turquoise waters that could provide visitors and residents of San Alfonso del Mar with a safe way to swim and enjoy watersports in a clean and family-friendly environment.

In the search for a technology that could provide a way to maintain his concept of a man-made lagoon with crystalline waters at a low cost, Fernando Fischmann, visited reputable companies in Germany, Australia, and the United States, among other countries. Throughout his search, these companies repeatedly told Fernando that the technology he was looking for was not viable and would never exist.

The problem was the following: The San Alfonso del Mar real estate development project included a lagoon of 20 acres (8 hectares), with a water volume of 250,000 m3 (66 million gallons), equivalent to 6,000 traditional pools. If conventional technology were to be used for pool maintenance, 6,000 filters and 6,000 doses of chlorine would be needed, which would make the production and maintenance of Mr. Fischmann’s crystal-clear lagoon economically unviable. When Fernando researched other large swimming pools that existed in the world at the time (approximately 1 acre of water surface-more than half a hectare), he quickly found that they had very high operating costs and maintenance issues that eventually caused them to close.

Fernando Fischmann, a trained biochemist, did not give up on his vision despite the adversity he confronted. Instead, he decided to take matters into his own hands and conduct the research necessary to invent the technology which would make his crystal-clear lagoon both beautiful and economically viable. He set up an experiment and analysis laboratory with the sole purpose of crafting the technology for his project. Several years later, Fernando was able to transform his vision into a reality with the successful creation of Crystal Lagoons technology.

The Solution

His revolutionary innovation allowed for the development and maintenance of his first crystalline turquoise lagoon in San Alfonso del Mar and paved the way for the development and maintenance of sustainable and economically viable crystalline lagoons around the world. This technology has since then been patented worldwide to protect Mr. Fischmann’s innovation and to allow different options for its commercialization and use.

San Alfonso del Mar, which was initially conceived as a second home development with a total of 400 units, became, after the implementation of Crystal Lagoons technology, a real estate success, reaching 1,400 units and doubling the original sales price. Fernando Fischmann’s man-made crystal-clear lagoon revolutionized the local landscape, not only by providing residents and visitors of San Alfonso del Mar with an attractive and safe area for aquatic activities, but also by offering spectacular views which in turn allowed for the development of other resort and relaxationbased businesses and

All of which transformed and revitalized the entire community of the area.

San Alfonso del Mar

The first project in the world to use this innovative technology, quickly became the “most successful second home
resort in the southern hemisphere”. The revolutionary nature of this concept and the technology that allowed it to become
a reality were commercially highlighted when the San Alfonso del Mar lagoon -with an area of 20 acres (8 hectares) and 0.62 miles (1 kilometer) in length-, was awarded the Guinness World Record as the largest crystalline lagoon in the world. Mr. Fischmann then established the company Crystal Lagoons, with the objective of marketing and commercializing this
innovative concept and technology.

He began focusing on real estate developments around the world by creating a business model that would allow them to replicate the success obtained in San Alfonso del Mar. He promoted a pioneering model in the real estate market, which he defined under the concept of “selling intelligence” and is in use until today. Crystal Lagoons partners or licenses the technology, while providing architectural conceptual designs, engineering specifications, exclusively manufactured equipment, supervision of the lagoon construction, training of maintenance personnel, permanent telemetric monitoring and operation, as well as marketing and PR support.

The New Revolution

After 10 years of revolutionizing the real estate world, Crystal Lagoons is now transforming city life with its Public Access Lagoons™, also known as PAL™. These monumental crystalline lagoons surrounded by white sands, which are accessed through a ticket. Crystal Lagoons brings a piece of the ocean to the city, creating beach life in urban surroundings, much like an English architect did 200 years ago, when he introduced small forests into the city of London, which we know as city parks

Public Access Lagoons™

Are an ideal location for hosting events such as launches, fairs, weddings, concerts, etc. in a paradisiacal environment and multiple set-ups. They also have vast gastronomy, retail stores, beach clubs, amphitheaters, and recreational and cultural activities. They are a totally new generation of urban recreational hubs, which sets a new standard for any public place of entertainment, becoming the meeting point of the 21^st century.

PAL are an innovative concept and business method patented by Crystal Lagoons, which is taking the multinational to the next level, generating an exponential increase in sales and structural change for the company. In fact, the company’s projection for the next 30 years is to license 4,610 PAL projects worldwide.

Fernando currently resides in the United States and is dedicated full time to developing new innovations, including a set of applications of high environmental relevance that could potentially help solve global issues, such as water and energy scarcity. Some of these technologies are sustainable industrial cooling systems and energy-less desalination methods, to mention a few.