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The restaurant is part of a new dining experience at the Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Maldives. Featuring R-Cast acrylic windows, the restaurant was lowered onto the seabed to give diners a close-up view of marine life surrounding the reef and the 1,000 foot deep channel only three feet away from the end of the restaurant.
 Maldives, October 25, 2011– A restaurant at the luxury Anantara Kihavah Villas in the Maldives offers diners a chance to enjoy a meal where few ever have – at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The restaurant “Sea” at the Anantara Kihavah Villas was inspired by the breathtaking views of the natural coral reef in the lagoon where it was placed. R-Cast acrylic windows designed and manufactured by RPT Asia, Ltd. in Thailand – a sister company to Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc. (RPT) in the United States – provide diners with a unique view into the natural coral reef life while they enjoy their gourmet meal.
RPT Asia, Ltd. manufactured a total of eight windows for the restaurant. Six of the windows measure approximately eight feet wide (2.4 meters) and six feet tall (1.8 meters). These windows appear on six faces of the 27 foot wide (8.4 meters) octagonal underwater restaurant. Two smaller windows that measure roughly six feet tall (2 meters) by six feet wide (1.8 meters) are situated in the 62 foot long (19 meter) hallway entrance, which also contains one of the first underwater wine cellars.
"The structure of the restaurant is truly unique,” said Roger R. Reynolds, III, CEO of RPT and RPT Asia, Ltd. “Between the design of the windows to maximize reef views and withstand natural weather and marine life encounters to the challenges presented in making the entire project happen serves as testament to all the solid engineering work involved. The restaurant truly is a marvel."
 To that point, because the restaurant was fully assembled on another island, getting the structure into its final location proved to be no easy feat. Several engineering firms, including Poole & Associates, were responsible for moving the restaurant, while RPT monitored the progress and provided technical expertise about the windows.
Ultimately, the restaurant structure was welded to a barge and slowly floated to the lagoon where it would be placed. Gradually, sand was pushed into portions of the structure to help it sink onto the pylons that had already been driven into the seabed. All the meticulous engineering of this structure and its location in the lagoon ensures it is so secure to the seabed that even a violent monsoon won’t move it.
 Once in place, the roof of the restaurant is anywhere from five feet (1.5 meters) to eight feet (2.5 meters) beneath the ocean surface, depending on the tide. All of the R-Cast acrylic windows were designed by RPT Asia, Ltd. and RPT to optimize the diners’ experience by sitting lower than the dining tables and extending outside the peripheral vision. The primary view windows are situated only three feet (1 meter) away from the 1,000 foot deep (305 meter) channel that teems with a variety of marine life.
The restaurant seats a total of 18 diners, providing them with a luxury dining experience that’s part of the resort’s “Sea. Fire. Salt. Sky.” dining experience.
About Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc.
Reynolds Polymer Technology is known as the leading manufacturer, fabricator, designer, and installer of R-Cast® acrylic and resin sheets. Their products have been used extensively in the architectural, signage, aquarium, water-retaining, and scientific industries worldwide. With more than 25 years’ experience, RPT is constantly raising the standard for what can be done with acrylic and resins. Headquartered in Grand Junction, Colorado, RPT also has operations in Rayong, Thailand. Visit www.reynoldspolymer.com for more information. Member of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Contact
Julie Hober, Marketing/Advertising Associate
Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc.
970.241.4700
www.reynoldspolymer.com
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