By Jon Robinson
For years London has stood alone as the preeminent home to the largest and most visually-striking skyscrapers in the UK.
Iconic structures like The Shard and buildings better known for their usual nicknames such as the Gherkin, Cheese Grater and the Walkie-Talkie dominate the capital and help to create an instantly recognisable skyline.
But London could soon lose its title as the home to the tallest residential skyscraper in the country – currently held by The Landmark Pinnacle in Tower Hamlets which stands at 233 metres.
That’s because plans were recently lodged for what would be the tallest residential building in Western Europe.
Land in Manchester city centre has been earmarked for the proposed development, which would rise to 241 metres if approved.
The Viadux 2 scheme is the brainchild of developer Salboy, which was co-founded by Fred Done who set up Betfred with his brother Peter.
Viadux 2 would be the latest in a cluster of high-rise towers constructed in Manchester in the last ten years and will be far from the last.
If built, the 76-storey skyscraper would dwarf its closest rival in the city, the south tower at Deansgate Square, which is 201m high, and would be the tallest skyscraper in the UK outside of London.
Gary Neville’s St Michael’s scheme
Salboy, which is behind a number of prominent projects across Greater Manchester, is also working with Gary Neville‘s Relentless Developments on the high-profile St Michael’s scheme.
The £400m development is being completed over two phases and will feature office space, a hotel and luxury apartments.
When complete, the £150m No 1 St Michael’s will comprise nine floors of office space while global restaurant brand Chotto Matte will occupy the rooftop with two food and beverage outlets situated on the ground floor.
The £250m phase two is a 41-storey tower which will be home to a 162-bed, five-star W Hotel as well as 217 residences and an additional 75,000 sq ft of office space.
Historically speaking
In the last decade, developer Renaker has constructed a number of skyscrapers at Great Jackson Street on the southern edge of the city centre.
The company has also been behind towers at Colliers Yard in neighbouring Salford and is working on four skyscrapers at Trinity Islands next to the River Orwell.
Manchester’s Beetham Tower quickly became an instantly recognisable symbol of Manchester after it was constructed in 2006 but the 47-storey tower has been joined by the city’s latest additions in recent years.
They include The Blade and Three60 last year and Elizabeth Tower in 2022.
Landmark skyscrapers outside London used to be few and far between. After the 25-storey CIS Tower was built in Manchester in the early 1960s, it was not rivalled as a landmark until Beetham Tower came along.
Now developers look to be queuing up outside the planning department’s offices at Manchester City Council hoping to get their latest towering scheme to be shown the green light.
Since 2018, 27 towers have been built in Manchester and there are around 20 more towers under construction, with proposals for c.50 in the planning system.
The city’s skyline has changed almost beyond recognition in the last ten years and the rate of development looks to be showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
