A former station undercroft in Manchester is to be transformed into a new luxury facility designed to serve the adjacent Viadux residential skyscraper.

Viadux is the latest apartment development in the city and its position adjacent to Manchester Central has made possible a transformation of the area under the former station’s Victorian arches.

Manchester Central itself – formerly the G-Mex – found a re-use after the trains stopped running as an exhibition and conference centre, while much of the space below was used for car parking and the spaces between the arches on the Deansgate Locks were turned into bars and clubs.

However, the Viadux development will now use some of this space to create a swimming pool and spa, a bar and lounge, a new lobby for residents and an aquarium, developer Salboy has revealed.

While glazing specialists will be involved in fitting windows in the tower above and the adjacent office building being constructed as part of the project, the glass below will be fitted around the brickwork of the arches and various reinforced steel and concrete pillars designed to support the structure from its lowest level below ground to the skyline above.

A temporary steel structure has been in place to support the arches while initial work has taken place, which also included an archaeological dig as the area lies on the edge of Roman Manchester.

Simon Ismail, the co-founder of Salboy’s, said of the development under the arches: “We wanted to incorporate this historical element into the project and use them to create the most luxurious and unique facilities in the city.”

He added: “We have all this architectural history underground while rising above will be spacious modern apartments, fitted to the latest and highest specification.”

Viadux will be 145 metres (476 ft) high when completed, adding to the array of skyscrapers on the west side of the city centre, although this will still be well short of the 554 ft of the neighbouring Beetham Tower.