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Beckley Point

Coordinates: 50°22′29″N 4°08′29″W / 50.37481°N 4.14142°W / 50.37481; -4.14142
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Beckley Point
Map
Record height
Tallest in South West England since 2018[I]
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

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.

Background

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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

[edit]

Construction

[edit]

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

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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

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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

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  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. ^ a b 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

50°22′29″N 4°08′29″W / 50.37481°N 4.14142°W / 50.37481; -4.14142

Records
Preceded by
Unknown
Tallest Building in South West England
2018-present
78 m
Succeeded by
None