Like a fine cocktail, building a pool or spa requires just the right ingredients: the best materials, a capable team and the know-how to put it all together. So when RicoRock was asked to create a spa inside a 7-foot-wide margarita glass for a Margaritaville resort complex, the idea — like a margarita itself — wasn't at all hard to swallow.
The project, located in Falmouth, Jamaica, and conceptualized by Bruce D. Robinson Design, features a spa cantilevered from the deck. To safely support the spa, the RicoRock team created a reinforced concrete structure built with footings 6 feet below grade, rebar reinforcing and 15 yards of concrete. Flexible plumbing and a 6-inch, hand-packed concrete shell were built into a fiberglass margarita glass provided by the theming contractor.
The toughest challenge, the team says, was configuring the plumbing so groups of people could enter and exit the spa without changing the water level; this was accomplished with a dummy skimmer that drains into a surge tank below.
At the waterline of the spa, the team added a tile mosaic in a blend of colors that mimic margarita mix. Finally, RicoRock texture mats were used to hand stamp the deck to resemble old wood.
The end result: a larger-than-life margarita glass surrounded by lime wedges, a shot glass and salt that can be accessed via a set of stairs. In other words, the perfect setting for a souvenir photo.
It still wasn't last call for RicoRock, though — the team was invited back the following year to create a rock-themed pool for the resort.
