Domis hands over Fusion’s 28-storey Manchester PBSA
The contractor owned by Betfred billionaire Fred Done has completed its third scheme of the year, the 509-bedroom Corten steel tower at the bottom of Deansgate.
Domis Construction has handed the 28-storey scheme over to developer Fusion and investment management firm Cain having already wrapped up work on Glenbrook’s Lumina Village and Salboy’s Waterhouse Gardens earlier this year.
Designed by Corstorphine + Wright Architects, Fusion’s Deansgate development was originally rejected by Manchester City Council in 2021. The authority was concerned about the suitability of the scheme’s location for purpose-built student accommodation.
However, that refusal was overturned at appeal in 2022 and Domis began work in September 2023. The timing of the tower’s completion aligns with the summer 2026 estimate made when work first started.
The project was Domis’ first PBSA development and features a cardio suite, wellbeing studio, gaming zone, karaoke room, library, and three outdoor roof terraces.
Matic Building Services delivered the MEP fit-out across the scheme, working with NOVO, Domis Group’s MEP design consultancy. Domis Utilities supported the project from early temporary services through to final connections, while Wright Landscapes completed the external areas and Casana Interiors delivered the internal finishes.
The scheme began construction in 2023. Credit: via Domis
Kingsley Thornton, managing director of Domis Construction, said: “Fusion Manchester is a proud moment for Domis Construction, Fusion Students and everyone who has played a part in bringing this building to life.
“From the outset, this project was about more than delivering student accommodation. It was about creating a place that contributes positively to Manchester, disrupts the norm for what is expected of a student residence and reflects the energy of one of the UK’s great university cities. To see it complete, three months early and in time for the new student intake, is a fantastic achievement.”
André Ferdinand, projects director at Fusion Group, added: “The successful delivery of Fusion Manchester is testament to what can be achieved when two organisations share the same ambitions and work together as one team.
“Domis have been a fantastic partner throughout the project, bringing expertise, collaboration and a genuine commitment to quality at every stage. Together we’ve created a striking landmark building in Manchester that not only reflects our ambition for premium student living, but will provide an exceptional experience for the hundreds of students who will call it home.”
Oliver Cummings, Managing Director and Head of PBSA at Cain, said: “The completion of Fusion Manchester represents another important milestone for our
student accommodation strategy. The scheme combines a prime city-centre location with the high-quality design and amenity offering that today's students increasingly expect.
“We are pleased to have partnered with Fusion Students and Domis Construction to deliver a development that will make a lasting contribution to Manchester’s student accommodation market.”
With work underway to get the scheme ready for the September student in-take, Fusion is now turning its attention to a scheme a short distance away on Whitworth Street West. There the developer plans a 39-storey PBSA tower with 808 beds.
- Credit: via Domis
- Credit: via Domis
A welcome contrast to the nearby SimpsonHaugh slabs.
By Andee
Awesome!
By Anonymous
Postage stamp of a site in a very busy spot. Must have been a tough build! Looks great compared to it’s taller neighbours. Great work Domis 👍
By PMC
This building actually looks great and it’s good to have some genuinely interesting tall buildings instead of the identikit offerings from Simpson Haugh.
By Dave W
Nice building but the street life looks a bit soulless?
By Just saying?
‘contributes positively to Manchester’. What tosh.
By Chris
The residents of Deansgate Square are so upset by this. They don’t get why it looks rusty.
By Anonymous
Whilst Manchester is fixated on towers, Stockport and Trafford are focused on townhouses and mansion blocks.
By Rye
Looks great. It also shows that despite the monotomy of the SH designs, once you started injecting style and colours into adjacent towers then the area will start to work cohesively. The SH stuff will almost form a backdrop for future schemes.
Much better approach than the likes of Leeds and Brum.
By Anonymous
That’s why Stockport and Trafford are nicer.
By Anonymous
The city centre should be building higher density, it make sense in more ways than some of you can clearly comprehend if you want city region that can defy the odds, become successful and give London the middle finger.
Stockport and Trafford are quiter commuter towns/regions, you wouldn’t want loads of towers for that reason.
By Braindead Nation
I absolutely love how this has come out. MCC should take a long hard look in the mirror for trying to block it. Shameful.
By Pir2
Looks great.
By Anonymous
This is an appropriate area for PBSA construction as there are many other schemes in the area and I never understood why they refused i in the first place.
As to its impact on the Manchester skyline, I think it was a brave and in my view, a great addition to the Manchester skyline.
By Steve5839
Great work Domis. Logistical nightmare, but looks superb.
By Mr Mcr
@By Braindead Nation
You can achieve higher densities with mansion blocks and townhouses. Towers are not always as high density as people think – Paris has far higher density with barely any towers, as does Kensington & Chelsea.
By Rye
@Rye, you are correct to say that you can achieve high densities with mansion blocks and townhouses but it is obviously wrong to imply that the towers in Manchester City Centre aren’t high density. They are just about the highest densities you could achieve on their plots. Low density towers are the standalone 1960s blocks with unnecessary amounts of open space around them which, incidentally, you find in Stockport and Trafford.
By Anonymous
I agree that masion blocks and townhouses should be provided in certain locations. But this is Manchester’s skyskraper quarter. Both Paris and London have much bigger skyskraper quarters, so not sure if you’re really proving anything tbh.
Whether we like it or not, you need much higher density for certain urban areas if you want them to thrive. This is one of those areas.
What they really need in this location it better street interaction and public realm.
By Braindead Nation
Shien NY
By Anonymous
Shine a light on raw, ugly jealousy.
By Anonymous