Manchester Central’s Victorian arches to house swimming pool and giant aquarium

The Victorian arches residing below Manchester Central are to be converted into luxurious facilities to serve Viadux, the city’s newest residential tower.

Developer Salboy has released new images today that demonstrate how the arches will be used to create state-of-the-art amenities including a swimming pool, spa, an atmospheric bar lounge and a giant aquarium.

Viadux will provide 375 luxury apartments which will offer a large private gym, studio space and treatment rooms, private dining, workspace and a karaoke bar as well as the spa, pool and bar all built within the arches.

Salboy

Work to create a temporary support for the arches has just been completed using 100 tonnes of structural steel that will allow penetration through to Manchester Central service yard above.

Two sections of the bridge across Great Bridgewater Street will also be removed, transforming the street below which will then feature the stunning entrance to the arched lobby of the residential building.

Senior project manager, Rob McLoughlin, has described it as one of the most technically and logistically challenging construction projects ongoing in the whole of the UK.

Salboy

He said: “The technical challenges and design elements are huge on a scheme like this, with some of these works never before undertaken in this country. It has required an immense amount of planning and team work to get to this point.

“The scale of work going on underground is breathtaking and while it involves intervention to create the foundation platform for the towers it is also preserving and opening up the arches which will be an integral feature of the development.”

The development is on schedule to be complete in summer 2024, and around 350 operatives and management are expected to be employed on the project by early 2022.