Beckley Point

Beckley Point is a private student accommodation building in Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom. It is owned and operated by Yugo, previously known as the Student Housing Company.

Beckley Point
General information
LocationPlymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
Address39 Cobourg St, Plymouth, PL1 1SP
Current tenants505
Construction started2015
Completed2018
Cost£30.79 million
OwnerYugo
Height78 m (256 ft)
Technical details
Floor count23
Design and construction
Architect(s)Boyes Rees Architects
DeveloperThreesixty Developments Ltd
Main contractorKier Group

Background

Beckley Point is the tallest building in the south-west of England as of 2023 standing at 78 metres (256 ft) tall.

The building officially opened in 2018[1] with 505 student rooms, a number of shared spaces, and a café.[2][3]

There is a gaming room with eight seats, a study room, a cinema room, a common room and on the 23rd floor of the building there is a sky lounge that is accessible to members of the public.[4][5]

History

Construction

Planning permission for the building was approved on 26 November 2014.[6][7]

Construction began on 15 August 2015[4] and was initially completed on 8 February 2017 following delays due to the weather.[8] The building was designed by Boyes Rees Architects, developed by Threesixty Developments, and built by Kier Group.[9]

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the building's external cladding was tested and deemed satisfactory, however the developers decided to replace it as a precaution in the same year and completed all construction works in January 2018.[10]

Incidents

During construction works in 2017, a group of teenagers broke into the site and climbed around 250 ft (76 m) up the scaffolding around the building.[11]

On 31 March 2020, the building was evacuated following a leak on the 21st floor which spread to the lower parts of the tower. A similar issue also occurred in 2017 whilst the building was still under construction.[12]

Reception

The building was shortlisted for the Carbuncle Cup in 2018, a prize given to the ugliest building in the UK completed in the previous 12 months.[13][14]

References
  1. "Higher education: is Britain's student housing bubble set to burst?". Financial Times. 15 September 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. Telford, William (27 November 2017). "Beckley Point finish date revealed - and it will look like this". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  3. Telford, William (5 October 2018). "New coffee shop bringing touch of style to student tower". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  4. Telford, William (29 June 2018). "You can now book the top level of Plymouth's tallest building". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  5. Telford, William (30 April 2018). "Eye-catching entrance to Beckley Point is finally unveiled". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  6. "14/01329/FUL | 22 storey building comprising 507 Student bedrooms, associated facilities and ground floor commercial units (Use Classes A2, A3, B1, D1, D2) | Beckley Court, Armada Way Plymouth". planning.plymouth.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  7. "Go-ahead for Plymouth's tallest building". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  8. Martin, Nigel (9 February 2017). "Kier tops out at Plymouth's Beckley Point". Construction Industry News. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  9. "Beckley Point - The Skyscraper Center". www.skyscrapercenter.com. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  10. Finch, Hannah (30 November 2017). "Ten multi-million pound projects that are transforming Devon and Cornwall". DevonLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  11. "Group scales Plymouth tallest building". BBC News. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. Timms, Katie (30 May 2020). "Evacuation at Plymouth tower as water 'runs down building'". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  13. Channon, Max (29 August 2018). "Beckley Point on 'most hated building in UK award' shortlist". PlymouthLive. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  14. 2018-08-22T06:00:00+01:00. "Carbuncle Cup: Beckley Point, Plymouth by Boyes Rees Architects". Building Design. Retrieved 27 June 2023.

50.37481°N 4.14142°W / 50.37481; -4.14142

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