Formerly known as Viadux 2, the Nobu Manchester tower will include a hotel, restaurant and 450 apartments
The £360m, 76-storey Nobu Manchester tower will be the tallest residential skyscraper in the UK upon completion in 2031, standing around 10 metres taller than London’s Pinnacle, near Canary Wharf.
Developed by Salboy and architect Ian Simpson, the skyscraper is the second part of Nobu’s development in the city, the first being a 40-storey tower with 362 apartments. Built above a series of Victorian railway arches at the old Manchester Central station site, the first tower was completed in 2024.
Ground was broken on the site of the second tower on Tuesday, with De Niro, celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa and film producer Meir Taper in attendance.
An 11ft model at the groundbreaking ceremony showed the building next to the existing Viadux and the smaller, affordable part of the Viadux Two development.
The 23-storey block will be 100% affordable, according to Salboy. Apartments in the taller tower are understood to go to market in early 2026, with prices starting at £500,000.
Works will be carried out by Salboy’s partner Domis
Domis and the Domis Group – Matic, Wright Landscapes, Casana, Novo, and Domis Utilities – will provide fit-out, landscaping and utilities works on the Nobu Manchester site.
The works will preserve the Grade-II listed Castlefield viaduct arches, first constructed in 1892, by punching holes through the structure to place concrete poles, which will support a podium on top of the viaduct structure. The tower itself will rest on the podium so that the arches will not bear the weight of the tower, a similar structure is in place at the base of the first tower.
Domis managing director Kingsley Thornton confirmed to reporters that Domis is “on the cusp” of submitting the Nobu Manchester plans to the Building Safety Regulator.
The location will be Nobu’s second in the UK
“Manchester has been booming for over 10 years now and the population just continues to grow,” said Simon Ismail, Salboy’s managing director.
“But to entice the likes of Nobu, and what they bring to the quality and brand and exposure, is enormous. And I think this is a catalyst to really do more in the city, more just like this.”
Ismail also predicted that the tower’s residents would comprise of people from “all over the world”, as well as wealthier Mancunians who would “move into the city and actually live in these units.”
“International businesses are choosing Manchester”
Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said the plans were a “symbol that international businesses are choosing Manchester”.
She added: “It’s not everyday you watch Robert De Niro take out an apartment in Deansgate is it?”
“It is a boost – we’ve said for a long time we wanted to be a world-class city and if you want to be a world-class city you’ve got to get global names.
“The fact we are seeing global names – not just actors – but global businesses that only go to cities where they will be successful is a big boost for Manchester.”
Investor De Niro admitted at the groundbreaking ceremony that he was not familiar with the city, but that it seemed a “good place to come to”.
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