The ‘living waterslides’ have been designed to resemble tree trunks / Image: Therme Group
Therme Manchester – the £250m indoor ‘next generation’ waterpark, thermal bathing and wellbeing spa set to open in 2025 – will include the world’s first ‘living waterslides’.
The waterslides are part of the resort’s focus on biophilic design and will feature 3D-printed structures housing thousands of biodiverse plants.
Thanks to their design, the slides will be made to look like tree trunks, with plants growing out of them.
Updated plans for Therme Manchester revealed by the group in April 2022 involve a ‘greater integration of biophilic design elements, including double-curved roofs, which reduce the amount of steel required, increasing the sustainability of the development.’
The new design also features a green ‘vertical forest’ multi-storey car park, and a number of new guest attractions including an all-season urban beach and the living waterslides. Innovative ‘welltech’ experiences will be offered, including a snow room, multi-sensory showers and oxygen rooms, and an education centre will host events on sustainability, food and nature.
Due to its sustainable approach, the resort will have a major net gain in biodiversity with a 10,000sq m wellbeing garden, a next-generation hydroponic vertical farm, more than 1,500 trees and roof-top beehives, producing honey for use in restaurants and wellbeing treatments.
Speaking to Attractions Management, Richard Land, Therme Group’s UK chief development officer, said: “We’re creating urban oases, where we bring together fun and relaxation to nurture mental and physical health. We’re looking to embed ourselves in communities; to be a catalyst for greener, healthier, more liveable cities and provide wellbeing for all.
“At a basic level, we all connect with water and find it incredibly calming to be in and around.”
Stelian Iacob, senior vice president of Therme Group and CEO of Therme Group UK, said: “The COVID-19 period gave us the opportunity to update the design of Therme Manchester to create an even more sustainable, engaging and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all.
“We will continue to work with the Manchester community as we progress with the design and development”.
Located at TraffordCity in Manchester, Therme Manchester is the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort.
Therme Group is working in partnership with Peel L&P to deliver the project, at a cost of over £250m (US$328.5m, €299.3m).
Construction of the development is scheduled to begin in 2023, with a build time of around two years.
Therme Group is working on the development of a second UK wellbeing resort for Glasgow, Scotland.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 2
Editor's letter: Open for all
We must listen to the communities we’re trying to serve if we’re going to make attractions inclusive for everyone, says Magali Robathan
Interview: Chris Mather
As the Gretna Green Experience opens in Scotland, Mather & Co’s CEO shares the highs and lows of almost three decades in exhibition design
Waterparks: Down to earth
The world’s first ‘living waterslides’, a hydroponic farm, rooftop beehives and more than 1,500 trees – all part of the Therme Manchester next generation waterpark’s aims to be as green as possible
Museums: Gardens of the future
Dubai’s new Museum of the Future has opened with a bang. We look at how the innovative landscaping aims to support the museum’s message
Technology: A whole new world
The metaverse is coming, and the attractions industry needs to pay attention. Lesley Morisetti explores the challenges and opportunities
Immersive art: In the picture
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is part of a massive trend promising to offer new perspectives on art and artists
Awards: Museums & Heritage Awards
As the Oscars of the museum world celebrate the best, brightest and most creative, we take a look at this year’s winners
Tourism: The winds of change
Attractions providers not willing to take risks and get truly creative will get left behind, says Dr Terry Stevens. Here’s how to stay ahead of the curve
Research: A sustainable future
Research shows that consumers want attractions to get greener, faster, and they’re actively pushing for change. BVA BDRC’s Jon Young talks us through the numbers
The ‘living waterslides’ have been designed to resemble tree trunks / Image: Therme Group
Therme Manchester – the £250m indoor ‘next generation’ waterpark, thermal bathing and wellbeing spa set to open in 2025 – will include the world’s first ‘living waterslides’.
The waterslides are part of the resort’s focus on biophilic design and will feature 3D-printed structures housing thousands of biodiverse plants.
Thanks to their design, the slides will be made to look like tree trunks, with plants growing out of them.
Updated plans for Therme Manchester revealed by the group in April 2022 involve a ‘greater integration of biophilic design elements, including double-curved roofs, which reduce the amount of steel required, increasing the sustainability of the development.’
The new design also features a green ‘vertical forest’ multi-storey car park, and a number of new guest attractions including an all-season urban beach and the living waterslides. Innovative ‘welltech’ experiences will be offered, including a snow room, multi-sensory showers and oxygen rooms, and an education centre will host events on sustainability, food and nature.
Due to its sustainable approach, the resort will have a major net gain in biodiversity with a 10,000sq m wellbeing garden, a next-generation hydroponic vertical farm, more than 1,500 trees and roof-top beehives, producing honey for use in restaurants and wellbeing treatments.
Speaking to Attractions Management, Richard Land, Therme Group’s UK chief development officer, said: “We’re creating urban oases, where we bring together fun and relaxation to nurture mental and physical health. We’re looking to embed ourselves in communities; to be a catalyst for greener, healthier, more liveable cities and provide wellbeing for all.
“At a basic level, we all connect with water and find it incredibly calming to be in and around.”
Stelian Iacob, senior vice president of Therme Group and CEO of Therme Group UK, said: “The COVID-19 period gave us the opportunity to update the design of Therme Manchester to create an even more sustainable, engaging and accessible experience with profound health and wellbeing benefits for all.
“We will continue to work with the Manchester community as we progress with the design and development”.
Located at TraffordCity in Manchester, Therme Manchester is the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort.
Therme Group is working in partnership with Peel L&P to deliver the project, at a cost of over £250m (US$328.5m, €299.3m).
Construction of the development is scheduled to begin in 2023, with a build time of around two years.
Therme Group is working on the development of a second UK wellbeing resort for Glasgow, Scotland.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 2
Editor's letter: Open for all
We must listen to the communities we’re trying to serve if we’re going to make attractions inclusive for everyone, says Magali Robathan
Interview: Chris Mather
As the Gretna Green Experience opens in Scotland, Mather & Co’s CEO shares the highs and lows of almost three decades in exhibition design
Waterparks: Down to earth
The world’s first ‘living waterslides’, a hydroponic farm, rooftop beehives and more than 1,500 trees – all part of the Therme Manchester next generation waterpark’s aims to be as green as possible
Museums: Gardens of the future
Dubai’s new Museum of the Future has opened with a bang. We look at how the innovative landscaping aims to support the museum’s message
Technology: A whole new world
The metaverse is coming, and the attractions industry needs to pay attention. Lesley Morisetti explores the challenges and opportunities
Immersive art: In the picture
Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is part of a massive trend promising to offer new perspectives on art and artists
Awards: Museums & Heritage Awards
As the Oscars of the museum world celebrate the best, brightest and most creative, we take a look at this year’s winners
Tourism: The winds of change
Attractions providers not willing to take risks and get truly creative will get left behind, says Dr Terry Stevens. Here’s how to stay ahead of the curve
Research: A sustainable future
Research shows that consumers want attractions to get greener, faster, and they’re actively pushing for change. BVA BDRC’s Jon Young talks us through the numbers
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
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