OMI bags planning for Salford's tallest flats

OMI Architects has won approval for Salford’s tallest block of flats.

The 44-storey tower contains 349 homes.

Designed for AQ Investments, Exchange Court has been dubbed the borough’s tallest residential structure by its designers. It was given the green light by Salford council last week.

The structure, destined for a 0.18ha site next to the River Irwell, is part of the city’s Greengate/Exchange Quarter.

It uses monochrome brick at its lowest levels, then unitised glass panels with integrated metal panels higher up.

OMI said the brick element would create a “dialogue” with the nearby Victoria Viaduct and the brick bases of other nearby new developments. It added that the tower’s distinctive step-back feature responded to the approximate roofline of the neighbouring Alto development, also designed by the practice.

Practice director Nick Berry said the tower was a demonstration of OMI’s “evolving approach” to repairing cities and bringing new life to tired and unloved environments. 

“The scale of Exchange Court has been an interesting challenge, particularly as we are working in a very sensitive historic quarter of the city,” he said.

“Exchange Court is really a progression from our other major urban developments such as the nearby 31-storey One Greengate apartment building, which is nearing completion, our 490-apartment Wilburn Basin scheme, currently under construction, and the 330-apartment Alto scheme on Trinity Way, Salford, which completed at the end of 2014.”

OMI’s base, in the converted Manchester Baths, is a stone’s throw from the site of the Exchange Court tower.