Salboy lodges plans for 76-storey Manchester skyscraper
Viadux phase two would provide 782 apartments within the UK’s tallest building outside London.
As well as a 76-storey tower, the second phase of Salboy’s Viadux scheme off Great Bridgewater Street would feature a 23-storey block comprising 133 affordable properties.
The skyscraper is the tallest building ever proposed in the city, overtaking Renaker’s 71-storey Lighthouse, which is currently in planning.
Salboy held a consultation on its proposals last November. At the time, the developer said that phase two of Viadux “will become the focal point of this cluster of tall buildings and provide a visually striking addition to Manchester’s skyline”.
SimpsonHaugh is the architect, Planit is advising on landscape, and Deloitte is the planning consultant. The project manager is Artal. Rounding out the project team are structural engineer Renaissance, building services and sustainability consultant Ridge, transport expert SLR Consulting, facade engineer WSP, daylight and sunlight consultant GIA, ecologist Penny Anderson Associates, archaeology consultant University of Salford, Stephen Levrant: Heritage Architecture, Design Fire Consultants, Brownfield Solutions, and Architectural Aerodynamics.
To learn more about the scheme, search for reference number 139715/FO/2024 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
Salboy’s mammoth Viadux plans are a significant departure from what was originally proposed in phase two – a 263,000 sq ft 15-storey office.
Place North West reported in October 2022 that Salboy was exploring swapping out the office element in favour of more homes.
Salboy’s Viadux marks the next chapter in the transformation of Manchester’s skyline.
For 12 years, Beetham Tower, which sits next to Viadux, was Manchester’s tallest building. Renaker’s South Tower took the crown in 2018 and the same developer tabled plans earlier this year for a 71-storey building that would overtake it.
It is not just Manchester where developers are reaching for the stars. Neighbouring Salford has seen several tall schemes proposed in recent years, including plans for a 240-metre tower at Regent Park.
Another box to add to Manchester’s boxy skyline. Where’s the architects involvement in all of this?
By Anonymous
Ok , I’m gonna beat Giant Skyscraper fan to it…wow! Another 20 storeys would be nice though 😎
By Anonymous
Here we go.
‘Look how big mine is’ has begun.
By Anonymous
Are Manchester tower builders competing to block off each others views? Folk may just as will live in a basement apartment.
By Anonymous
Is there really demand for these apartment numbers?
By TJL
Is that a slight taper I’m seeing? If they carried that upwards a bit more that would be a pointy top…keep going!
By Worsley flyer
Salboy way more visionary than Renaker now. Compare this to Renaker’s proposed Lighthouse – it’s night and day the difference in ambition and what the schemes give back to the city. And affordable housing too! I’d take living here over the sterile New Jackson any day of the week
By how the mighty have fallen
The Regent Park cluster would appear Just in the background of this shot next to the Trinity way tower under construction. What with the Lighthouse going up as well that is starting to look like a real skyline now
By Anonymous
Oh look its square
By Anonymous
Had a skim through the D&A for this – the street level to Lower Mosley Street looks like such a fantastic upgrade to the soulless area it is now (and the removal of most of the tunnel will make that area far more appealing). There’s concern for how the overview of this with the background towers are all looking very generic, but the lighting visuals show how this is going to change form drastically in the sunlight (if / when we get any!) I do think it’s fundamental though now that any further large scale development and towers in this vicinity are not glazed blocks and that we have a few additions to add some variety to the mix.
By Anonymous
Manchester does have a big one though. And it’s not square. Mmmm
By Anonymous
Looking like a North American City soon
Shame all the Skyscrapers dull in design
Architects may get some inspiration from NYC 1920’s to cap off a true eye looker.
By Philip
Now we’re talking!!!!
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
Sorry but Renaker, Salboy and mainly Greater Manchester Council should be ashamed!
They had the opportunity to reshape the whole city with original landmarks making a reference skyline for the West like we have seen in many Chinese cities and instead there are only glass cube buildings over and over. It just shows a city without soul!
By AlbertoR
Looks great..bit of art deco here and there and I’d be delighted.
By Art
Very very exciting stuff!!
By Anonymous
Although this design is fine, Manchester needs a signature building now. I hope the Regent Park one is that building. A truly inspiring building recognisable as Salford/Manchester. If they are building towers this tall, at least one needs to be of an outstanding design.?
By Elephant
Creating a skyline indeed – but come on all the towers look the same – we need some texture and different materials and shape. So boring
By meh
I think some of the ‘boring’ comments are a little odd. It’s a skyscraper. 95% of them are cuboids for entirely practical reasons (though of course I wouldn’t object to 1920s New York).
The more important thing is how they are clad. Glass or anything else reflective on anything so high is important as it maximises light; dull cladding cuts it out.
By John C
Outdated .
By 2024
well Liverpool just approved a 14 storey tower so who’s really winning here!
By Anonymous
Underwhelming
By Anonymous
Looks like a giant waterfall, pretty cool.
Manchester will start doing some epic designs at some point. It’s better to be consistent and high quality until it does.
By Anonymous
It’s so depressingly predictable. Just a wee bit bigger than the previous bit of ‘adventurous architecture’, but just another pile of infantile, egotistical junk (which recying bin will this go into in 15 years time?).
By Ehm 21
Yet another skyscraper to Mcr skyline, good but we’re still waiting for a nice, child friendly and welcoming viewing platform, to benefit all community and tourists with lovely views of Manchester with different perspective and new experiences accessible for all
By Blueberry
Why not build a high wall all around wonderful Central Station so no body will see it again, ever.
By Anonymous
What a B-E-A-UTY! Get it built please!
By MC
Another SimpsonHaugh bland, grey box for Manchester…
By Dan W
I am going to need a bigger ladder
By Stan Ogden
Manchester’s soul is being sucked out via these ‘my towers bigger than yours’ glass cages. ‘affordable’ my arse. Manchester used to have something about it. I thought we ‘do things differently here’. Won’t be any Mancunians left at this rate.
By Anonymous
Just wait, in 20 to 30 years time these buildings will be in complete disrepair. Building up like is not how you develop a city for the long term. Let’s be honest, Manchester is not New York or LA, it’s a Northern post industrial town.
By Karl
This looks great. We do need a bit more creativity everything looks so similar now.
By jd
I really like this one. It would look incredible with a pointed top though.
By Anonymous
Great but why a decent tower and then a mediocre tower? Why not build something to shout about and add the 23 storey onto the 76 storey and have a banging 99 storey tower
By Hamster
Build bigger than the shard, start a real race!
By BLapinskas
But who is going to live in them?
By Liverpool Romance
Some absolute nonsense talked..”20- 30 yrs times buildings will be blah blah blah….” Get over it, Manchester absolutely crushing it as usual and all the envy from the usual suspect makes absolutely no difference.The city never stops. Rather better than being frozen in time eh?
By HD
Some right miserable s*ds. This is a genuinely interesting design and hopefully influences Renaker a smidge to add more variety. Get it through and get it up!
By Tom
Can always tell how good a project is these days by how much envy it gets in the comments on here. I love it, get it built and hats off to all those involved! Some on here should have a read of the man in the arena speech.
By Bob
Beautiful looking design, will be a great addition to the Manchester skyline.
By Anonymous
Surely this is a reference to Waterfall by the Stone Roses?
By Anonymous
Oh look, another high rise box! I don’t think these towers add anything positive to the environment. A cluster would give a central point to the city but these boxes are scattered all over the place. It works in NY but not here. We’re more like Benidorm but without the fun.
By B.Land
I think this one looks quite stunning. Hopefully they will use quality materials.
By Anonymous
It always amazes me on here how these so called Grey boxes , are sucking the soul out of Manchester, yet when a similar proposal for Liverpool was mentioned recently, it was a game changer, amazing, stunning, about time and a million and one other platitudes . I thought Liverpool’s colours were red ,and Everton’s blue, not green?
By Elephant
B.Land, that’s harsh , Benidorm has some good architecture
By Anonymous
What about social housing for the real folk of Manchester.
By Anonymous
This is actually a decent design and a record breaking height. Love it, I really hope it gets built . go on salboy!
By We're just Normal men
I personally think this is stunning (‘the waterfall?’) and will be an amazing addition to the evolution of Manchester’s beautifully dynamic skyline.
By Stu
Ha ha, love when little Johnny troll comes out from under his bridge pounding away on the keyboard with his little hooves of justice 😅. You know Manchester is doing something right…happens every time he sees a big one. Love the design on this , and with more and even bigger to come it’s not just the skyline that changing, it’s the population of the city centre and all that brings. Great time to be in the city.
By IMMH
Dear Place, this skyscraper proposal will absolutely ruin my life. I know nothing of the construction industry or development economics but I spend all my spare time looking at pictures of building proposals in Manchester on the internet and commenting on them and I am absolutely furious that this is a tall building and relatively cuboid in shape. How do I complain to the architect or the council about this to get it changed?
By Skyscraper internet commentator
I like this design, no it’s not Benidorm or New York or …It’s Manchester ! I guess that’s what really gets certain types ..it’s Manchester and what a great place to be! 🙌 One day you too will get one more than 14 storeys and we shall all celebrate you see if we don’t. But for now be happy to have so many wonders so close by, a wonder of the Industrial age, a marvel of technology. And it’s not a bungalow.
By Charles in charge
Over 80% of the properties are being sold to investors from Hong Kong, China Singapore through brochures extolling the virtues of Manchester ” which has ” seen 25 % increase in the value of property in the last…years. Rental value has I creased .. It is expected that…..”
All this is based on the last 4 years or so of growth.
However there is not an insatiable demand for this type of property.
There is likely to be oversupply and rents are already falling. I know ..I am a landlord and service charges, fees cou cil tax etc are taking their toll
By Realist
Wait until that 240m one goes up across the Rd. Those ‘little hooves of justice ‘ are going to be on fire !
By Anonymous
Goes with the constant grey clouds always hanging over us here in Manchester
By Anonymous
Yaay, love it, ! looking down on other cities quite literally now! 😎
By Luvinit
A nice view of miles of council housing from the top
By Anonymous
A nice big shiny trophy building. The problem is that many of the buildings in the vicinity are extremely mediocre and ought to be demolished. My worry is the view of the building from the street. What does need demolishing is the whole the of Arndale commercial centre. A real eye sore. But I am pleased to see that hideous buildings dating from the 90’s are being demolished.
By John
Grey clouds? Only in Trollhatten this is Manchatten…only sunshine this side of the bridge ! This will be only the 3rd biggest skyscraper in Manchester in a few years …incredible.
By DHer
Most cities in northern Europe have more rainfall than Manchester (check the weather facts). If any body says “Rainy” Manchester again, I shall skweem and skweem until I am sick! So there!
By Anonymous
Can they name it Burgmanchifa
By Anonymous
John, I fear you’ve no idea where this is…no where near the Arndale centre bless!
By Anonymous
It’s the big ones that scare them…That probably says much when the comments section light up every time they see another thrusting into the sky.
By Luke skythruster
There’s something very childish about those who think big means good, it doesn’t.
By Josh Burns
Oh I think it’s just the jealousy that’s childish, almost knee jerk. No, what these really stand for is investment…all the most successful cities have them..and there is nothing that’s goads the childish like success .
By Tosh
Some very strange comments on here, not everyone who isn’t over joyed with these tall buildings is a troll. Whilst a zone for them would be fine, having them pop up all over the place looks awful. Are these the type of homes people actually want to live in? I can’t imagine the view of gridlocked roads below is very appealing either. Each to their own I suppose.
By A Resident
The Tall buildings in Manchester (ie like this one ) are zoned, mostly in Great Jackson’s st and Greengate so that’s not the problem at all.
By Anonymous
Jay Rayner doesn’t like the towers in Manchester, must be a troll, Peter Hook doesn’t like them, must be a troll, many people in Manchester don’t like them, they must all be trolling
By Gilly
What about the majority who are on Universal Credit?
By Anonymous
I generally have a favourable opinion about the Simpson H buildings. They are not striking but neither ugly, in my view; but this one is atrocious. I hope (naively) that it gets rejected and they have to go back to the drawing board. Otherwise It will be an eternal eyesore for the city. It’s a shame.
By Victor
Far too tall. Too domineering. Getting a little tired of all theses SimpsonHaugh developments. The Hilton Hotel is a disaster and this one risks being one also. I would like to see more slender and elegant towers and not as tall.
By Tim
When are we going to get buildings the likes of the Gherkin? Ones that stand out Internationally for their amazing design?
By Anonymous
Why not build a viewing tower. Like Liverpools radio city tower. Or new zealands viewing tower.
By Pete clarke
I like it but with a pediment of some kind …a pointy top or a bit of setback like Victoria tower. I know this could happen in Manchester as there will be lots more and even taller if only because it’s fun trolling the trolls !
By Jilly Gilly