Built on the Former Bauer Millett Site, Viadux is a mixed-use development of apartments and Grade A office space spanning 27,900 sqm in Manchester city centre, led by internationally renowned Simpson Haugh Architects and award-winning property developer Salboy Limited. The development occupies a prime location in Deansgate, overlooking Castlefield Locks and next door to the historical Civic Quarter.
Viadux sits above a redundant railway viaduct in the centre of Manchester. The foundations have been designed to sit inside the historic Castlefield Viaduct, which transported goods in and out of the city during the industrial revolution.
Upon entering the building, you’ll be greeted by the viaduct’s imposing Victorian lattice girder bridges. The Grade II listed arches will also frame luxury facilities such as a swimming pool, spa and lounge bar. The impressive structures act as a window into Manchester’s fascinating industrial past and the heritage of the Castlefield area.
Salboy co-founder, Simon Ismail, said:
The vaulted spaces are on a huge scale and are absolutely majestic. We wanted to incorporate this historical element and use them to create the most luxurious and unique facilities in the city.
Castlefield’s Industrial Past
Once the site of the Roman fort of Mamucium, Castlefield has a long history dating back to AD 79. After the Romans withdrew, the fort fell into disrepair and the Castlefield site was derelict for several centuries. It flourished briefly as part of “Mamcester”, a village established in 1086, which later grew into a town. However, the area really came into its own in the 18th century when it became the centre of the canal network.
Castlefield was home to the Bridgewater Canal and Manchester Liverpool Road, the world’s first inter-city passenger railway station. In 1855, construction began on Manchester’s Great Northern Warehouse and, later, on the famous Castlefield Viaduct, which transported heavy rail traffic in and out of the warehouse for over 70 years.
Today, Castlefield Viaduct stands as a testament to Manchester’s rich industrial heritage and has become a centre of culture and tourism. It has featured as a TV set on well-known series such as Coronation Street and Peaky Blinders. Part of the structure has also been transformed into a green “sky park”, open to the public and offering a bird’s-eye view of Manchester from one of the places where it all began.
Now, the Viadux development will bring together modern city living with Manchester’s unique industrial past.
A Challenging Project
Building over the listed II viaduct presents a number of constraints which have been impressively navigated by Simpson Haugh Architects. The team also had to assess the impact on the adjacent Grade II listed former station building, which now functions as an exhibition and conference centre.
The residential tower frames a new public route from the tram stop down to Watson Street and into Manchester city centre. Meanwhile, the office building bridges the tram line and creates a presence on Albion Street.
Work began on this impressive project in 2016 and it is now near completion, with only a couple of residential apartments left on the market. Occupying a prime location in Manchester city centre, with strong links to the city’s industrial past, Viadux makes for an exciting addition to the Manchester skyline and we are very much looking forward to its completion next year.
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