First purpose-built student housing complex in Newcastle CBD

Group GSA has won a design excellence competition for a student housing complex in Newcastle's West End.

The project will be the first purpose-built student accommodation building in the city centre.

The 560-bed, 21-storey building will rise from the existing heritage-listed Cambridge Hotel at 789 Hunter Street.

The design is conceived as a trio of slender towers above a brick-faced podium with a large atrium in the centre.

"Each tower has been designed with its own distinctive architectural expression, responding to Country, to urban context and to orientation," said Group GSA principal Alister Eden.

"In a nod to the site's much-loved music past, we've nicknamed the buildings as a 'band' of towers, and affectionately named them the 'singer,' the 'drummer' and the 'guitarist' - with the singer naturally being the loud one at the front," Eden continued.

The main ("singer") tower's facade is inspired by local history and discussions with Indigenous artist Warwick Keen.