Merchants Ice

Merchants Ice: Unlocking a Landmark’s Rooftop Potential

For more than a century, the Merchants Ice Building has stood as a foundational piece of San Antonio’s industrial skyline. Built in 1909, the 63,000-square-foot former cold storage facility underwent a sweeping adaptive reuse transformation, converting the historic landmark into a modern mixed-use destination. To elevate the property’s market appeal while honoring its architectural heritage, the redevelopment team envisioned a centerpiece rooftop terrace with a custom pool overlooking downtown San Antonio.

CHALLENGE 

Suspended high above active office spaces, the addition of a rooftop pool on a century-old structure presented a high-stakes engineering puzzle. Traditional concrete construction introduces massive dead loads that the building’s original 1909 frame could not support without extensive and costly structural reinforcement. Beyond the weight, water intrusion represented a critical risk to the building’s historic envelope and new interior finishes. The project required a solution that eliminated excess weight, minimized disruption to surrounding trades and offered absolute watertight security.

SOLUTION 

To solve these complex site constraints, installation partner Cody Pools selected a custom prefabricated stainless steel pool system from Bradford. Weighing roughly one-fourth the mass of a comparable concrete structure, Bradford’s engineered vessel drastically reduced structural demand, allowing the project team to preserve the integrity of the historic building. Because the pool was fully fabricated and tested in Bradford’s off-site facility, jobsite logistics were simplified. The vessel arrived intact and was crane-lifted directly onto the roof deck before final finish tile was applied. By moving the pool into place as a single, factory-built vessel, the team minimized impact to the historic structure while protecting the vessel itself from the risks of a complex on-site installation. The approach also streamlined the timeline by eliminating the prolonged disruption of pouring and curing concrete on-site.

“Historical buildings add another layer of what contractors have to worry about,” explains Matt Trissel, general manager of Cody Pools. “A general contractor really appreciates when Cody says Bradford is involved — they have a reputation for quality, and the leak-proof aspect is very important in a historical conversion. We know Bradford is going to back their product up.”

Today, the Merchants Ice Building stands as a masterclass in adaptive reuse. By replacing heavy concrete with lightweight stainless steel technology, the project team unlocked a space once thought impossible to build — proving that historic preservation and contemporary luxury can seamlessly coexist.