New design plans for a student accommodation tower in South Brisbane have been released as construction gets under way.
The building at 41 Tribune Street – directly opposite South Bank bus station – will be a Scape facility with 527 beds across 17 storeys.
It will have a mix of studio and two-bedroom apartments, with retail, food and drink outlets on the ground floor.
“South Brisbane is one of the most logical locations for student housing in the city,” Scape Group’s general manager of developments, Jonathan Combley, said in a statement.
“Demand continues to outpace supply, and this project is a direct response to that.
“This … [shows] Scape’s long-term commitment to delivering high-quality accommodation that supports the city’s growing student population while helping to ease pressure on the broader rental market.”
On Friday afternoon, about a dozen workers were on the site, which is next to an existing Scape tower.
Updated design plans were lodged with Brisbane City Council in June showing a significantly boxier facade. The company declined to say why this decision was made.
Artist impressions of the orange tower reveal it would be much taller than existing buildings in the vicinity. They also show new trees planted along the street.
Scape has held the Tribune Street site since at least 2020. It was previously the Hoo Ha Bar, and was occupied by software business Sauce before that.
Student accommodation is a growing business across Brisbane.
In 2024, major developer Dexus announced it was converting the former Mineral House at 41 George Street – previously home to Queensland public servants – into a student hub with about 1200 beds.
A plan to convert 150 Charlotte Street into student housing was later scrapped. The 18-storey, largely vacant building was sold to Dexus in April for less than half the price it fetched in 2017. The developer confirmed it was planning to attract new office tenants after a renovation.
The Property Council of Australia said in June accommodation for about 14,000 students was being built across Australia.
Construction company McNab is building the South Brisbane tower.
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