News that yet another residential skyscraper has gained planning permission is no more of a big story in Salford these days as it is just across the Irwell in Manchester. But while there will be plenty of steel and glass in the latest tower to appear in Greengate, the frameless shopfront glazing below may catch the eye more.

This is because the Progressive Living scheme is not just about 568 flats in a co-living scheme, but because below the 42-storey tower will be some significant connected developments. As well as transformed public realm, eight railway arches will be transformed.

Under these arches, new shops, cafes and bars will be opened, with these outlets providing jobs and also immediate places of leisure and amenities for the residents of Greengate. The arches lie below the line between Manchester Victoria and Salford Central stations.

Not all the new amenities will be under these arches – the tower will feature a sky bar on the 37^th floor as well as a rooftop terrace – but it does represent a wider transformation of this particular area in the heart of the Greater Manchester conurbation, which has long since ceased to simply consist of covering brownfield sites with new apartments.

The large glass frontages will have the advantage of maximising the natural light, which may be particularly attractive given the potential for this to be diminished by the new skyscraper cluster and the likelihood that the area would be in shadow for much of the time.

The use of plenty of glass alongside traditional brick structures, especially those in continued use like railway viaducts, is not new to Manchester, with various uses having been made already of the space under the arches supporting the line from Piccadilly across the city centre via Oxford Road and Deansgate Stations, as well as below Manchester Central.