Global Student Accommodation Group (GSA) and Harrison Street have launched a joint venture to acquire and refurbish The Curve, a 350-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in central London. The Curve is located in London’s Whitechapel neighbourhood near the trendy Shoreditch entertainment, shopping and leisure area and City of London business district. The 9-story residential tower is easily accessible to four leading London universities, including Queen Mary University, City University, King’s College London and The London School of Economics.
The refurbishment plan covers all rooms and common areas and will ensure the 266 studios and 84 en-suite beds offer the highest quality living spaces for students. The building includes top-tier amenities including 24-hour security, gym, theatre room, kitchen, study and communal spaces, libraries, outdoor space and a retail ground floor space, a grocery and general merchandise retailer.
Rob Mathias, Senior Managing Director and Head of International Business for Harrison Street, said: “London is one of the most attractive destinations in Europe for university students, yet the city continues to suffer from a significant undersupply of PBSA given constraints around new property construction and other barriers to entry. We are excited to continue to build upon our successful partnership with GSA, a best-in-class partner in the student accommodation sector, to identify and provide London-based students with access to well-appointed, modern, high-quality housing options. The Curve meets all our criteria when selecting sites for PBSA given its accessibility to multiple university campuses, central location and top-tier amenities. We look forward to growing our global student housing platform across leading European markets.”
Nicolas Porter, Executive Chairman at GSA said: “While London maintains its reputation for having some of the best academic institutions globally there will continue to be high demand for world-class purpose-built student accommodation from both domestic and international students, and we’re delighted to continue our longstanding partnership with Harrison Street. As a leader in global student living, we have a responsibility to understand and improve students’ living environments. Enhancing the lifestyles of our residents through carefully considered and researched design is a fundamental part of this, and we’re proud to be bringing our well-being centred approach to The Curve.”
