Things are about to change for the
better on Pomona Island in Greater
Manchester as a new residential
scheme, that will breathe new life
into the area, is beginning to take shape
The scheme, known as X1 Manchester
Waters, will help regenerate the island
which has been identified as a new
destination for business, residential
and leisure by the local authority,
complementing nearby Manchester city
centre and Salford Quays.
Almost a kilometre long, Pomona Island
is a strip of land sandwiched between
the Manchester Ship Canal and the
Bridgewater Canal that has been unused
in recent times having previously served
as docks for the once thriving inland port
of Salford.
Further back in history, during the
early Industrial Revolution, the island was
home to botanical gardens and the Royal
Pomona Palace, a venue that was bigger
than London’s Albert Hall.
Manchester Waters is being developed
by X1 with Liverpool-based Vermont
Construction as main contractor. In total,
the scheme is set to deliver five blocks in
two phases, with the first two blocks (phase
one) due to be complete by early next year.
The initial two steel-framed blocks (A
and B) are 10-storeys and 12-storeys high
and will contain a total of 216 apartments.
These will be a mix of studio, one, two and
three-bed units.
The planned second phase will consist of
three blocks of 15-storeys, 17-storeys and
19-storeys that will bring a further 526 new
homes to the market. The overall vision for
the scheme will see the blocks progressively
step up in height from the Salford Quays
end of the island in the direction of
Manchester city centre.
The design of all of the buildings is
influenced by their prominent canal-side
setting. Consequently, the structures
will all have a nautical appearance with
a rounded and raking front, which
incorporates a cantilever supported by two
pairs of V-shaped tubular columns.
Vermont started work on this
brownfield site late last year and its initial
groundworks for the first phase included
the installation of piled foundations to a
depth of 13m.
Block A and B’s concrete cores were
then cast, which then allowed Elland
Steel Structures to begin its steel erection
programme.
Elland Steel has recently completed the
erection of the 10-storey block A and it
is due to commence work on the second
(12-storey) block B later this month (May).
Commenting on the chosen framing
solution, WSP Project Engineer Antony
Jones says the decision to go for a steel
Residential
Ship-shape residences
The first phase of an ambitious residential scheme, overlooking
the Manchester Ship Canal, has chosen a steel-framed solution
for its first two apartment blocks.
14 NSC
May 19
The buildings have
rounded ship-like
prows
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings
/Braced_frames
/Design
/Concept_design#Concrete_or_steel_cores
/Construction#Steel_erection