Oxygen reaches peak

Russells Construction has completed the two internal cores, which reach 32 and 16 storeys, at Oxygen on Manchester’s Store Street for developer Property Alliance Group.

The cores will house the development’s lift shafts from basement to roof.

The 32-storey building is the tallest single structure that Russells has built, surpassing 29-storey Axis on Albion Street, Manchester.

Three individual interlinked towers will, when completed, provide 372 one and two-bedroom apartments with 12 townhouses at street level. The buildings will also include a spa, gym, pool, and a basement car park. Outside there will be a double-height retail unit in Tower 1.

Four tower cranes, including one that reaches 120m high, are now installing the cladding and glazing units.

Tower one is past its halfway point, tower two has reached level 12 of 16, and tower three is at level nine of 10.

The scheme is designed by Jon Matthews Architects.

Permission was granted in 2007 for an £82m, 35-storey tower by developer Time & Tide before the developer fell into administration in 2008. PAG acquired the site in 2015 and obtained consent for this scheme.

Gareth Russell, director of Russells Construction, said: “With the cores having reached their highest point we can now see the full extent of what an impressive building Oxygen will become. The team is doing a fantastic job managing a multi-faceted construction programme across separate three towers within a tight 35,500 sq ft footplate in a busy part of the city centre.”

Alex Russell, managing director of developer Property Alliance Group, said: “We’re pleased to see such great progress being made, especially given the complexities of the build. Oxygen will add to Manchester’s growing portfolio of impressive residential schemes and is set to become one of the highest specification buildings ever built in the city.”