World’s tallest student accommodation building to provide space for 1,500 students

Student accommodation developer Unite has completed Sky Plaza, an £80 million purpose-built student housing block in Leeds and its largest project to date.

Designed by architect careyjones, the 37-storey scheme is the tallest of its kind in the world.

Sky Plaza was developed in two phases which together provide 349,000 sq ft of student accommodation and 4,400 sq ft of retail space.

The completion this week of the second phase by Shepherd Construction will provide accommodation for 533 students living in a range of cluster flat sizes, studios and spacious one bed flats. The first phase, completed in 2006, comprises of 964 purpose built en-suite study rooms.

Other consultants working on the project include employer’s agent Stace, structural engineer WSP and services consultant Brentwood Design Group.

Richard Simpson, development director at Unite, said: “The construction of Sky Plaza marks a significant achievement for UNITE. We have completed our largest single scheme to date amongst exceptionally difficult economic circumstances.”

Simpson added that work had started on site on three schemes in London that will be delivered in 2010, totalling 1,125 new bed spaces.

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