The construction of a massive water park featuring dozens of slides has made significant progress. Sir Robert McAlpine has been confirmed as the construction manager for the highly anticipated £450m Therme Manchester wellbeing resort at TraffordCity, which will be Europe’s largest thermal pool complex upon completion.

The design has evolved over several planning iterations from a single building with a vast undulating full-glass roof and façade to a series of connected roofed pavilions. Once completed, the resort will feature 30 waterslides, the UK’s largest sauna area, multiple steam rooms, botanical gardens, immersive art installations, and a family-friendly wave pool.

Situated in the heart of TraffordCity, the resort will be accessible via the Bee Network, Metrolink, and new canal-side walking and cycling routes. A multi-storey car park is also planned for those driving to the location.

The appointment of the construction manager is expected to prevent further delays to the opening of Therme. Originally slated to open in 2025, the launch date has been pushed back to 2028.

The project’s cost, initially estimated at £250 million, has soared to an eye-watering £400 million, reports the Mirror. 

Despite a burst of activity at the Trafford Centre site in October last year, progress seemed to slow down. Photographs taken in February this year revealed that while the ground had been cleared, no additional construction appeared to be in progress.

The management team has provided an update on the project’s progress, revealing that the “first major construction phase” is set to commence “later this year”.

The official groundbreaking ceremony took place in October when a massive 200-metre borehole was drilled into the TraffordCity site to harness its “natural thermal capacity”, a key component for the energy-efficient resort.

Earlier in February, Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, attributed the cost increase to an “old design” and construction-only costs.

He elaborated: “The current design incorporates additional public space, sustainable and accessibility initiatives, the spectacular inner wellbeing garden, incorporation of our own state-of-the-art energy centre focused on air-sourced heat pump energy and thermal storage (capable of incorporating district heating networks when available) and an integrated water retention system.

“All combined with the existing facilities to make Therme Manchester a unique and first of its kind in the UK.”

Therme Group’s current sites are scattered across Europe – Therme Bucharest, the world’s first LEED Platinum-certified wellness facility, and Therme Erding, the world’s largest wellbeing venue. They draw in more than 3.5 million visitors each year, and when Manchester’s Therme destination opens, it’s anticipated to bring a multi-million pound tourism boost to the area.