A significant milestone has been reached in the development of a massive water park featuring numerous slides. Sir Robert McAlpine has been appointed as the construction manager for the eagerly anticipated £450 million Therme Manchester wellbeing resort in TraffordCity. Upon completion, this attraction will stand as the largest thermal pool complex in Europe.
The resort’s design has evolved through various planning stages, transitioning from a single building with a sprawling full-glass roof to a network of interconnected roofed pavilions. Once operational, the resort will offer 30 waterslides, the largest sauna area in the UK, multiple steam rooms, botanical gardens, immersive art installations, and a family-friendly wave pool.
Situated at the heart of TraffordCity, the resort will be accessible to swimmers via the Bee Network, Metrolink, and new canal-side walking and cycling routes. Additionally, a multi-storey car park is scheduled for construction to accommodate drivers.
The appointment of the construction manager aims to prevent further delays in the opening of Therme. Originally slated for a 2025 opening, the launch has been postponed to 2028, with the project costs ballooning from an initial estimate of £250 million to an astounding £400 million.
Following a period of apparent inactivity at the Trafford Centre site, management has provided an update on the project’s status, confirming that the “first major construction phase” is scheduled to commence later this year.
The official groundbreaking ceremony occurred in October, marked by the drilling of a massive 200-meter borehole to tap into the site’s natural thermal capacity, a crucial element for the resort’s energy efficiency.
In a statement made in February, Professor David Russell, Therme UK’s CEO, attributed the cost escalation to outdated design and construction expenses. He highlighted the incorporation of additional public space, sustainable and accessibility initiatives, an inner wellbeing garden, an energy center focusing on air-sourced heat pump energy, and an integrated water retention system as key features of the current design.
Therme Group operates several sites across Europe, including Therme Bucharest, the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified wellness facility, and Therme Erding, the largest wellbeing venue globally. These sites collectively attract over 3.5 million visitors annually. The upcoming launch of Therme Manchester is anticipated to generate a substantial economic boost for the region.