The Onyx, Birmingham

MRP secured planning permission in March 2018 and construction works commenced in May 2018. The development was completed in September 2020 in time for the 2020/21 student intake.

The Onyx is a landmark 1,025 unit purpose build student accommodation development occupying one of the most prominent sites in the heart of Birmingham City centre, adjacent to Aston and Birmingham City Universities.

The building is C shaped with two bold, angular towers with sharply defined ‘razor’ edges and a smooth, highly detailed, gloss black finish, rising 13 and 24 storeys respectively. The towers are anchored by a central 9-storey block finished with a traditional, matt brick with defined window reveals and texture.

Residents of the Onyx benefit from best-in-class facilities with extensive shared spaces including health and fitness facilities, a private landscaped courtyard with a student amphitheatre and two large landscaped roof terraces with a Sky Lounge & Garden on the 24th floor offering exceptional views.

Accommodation is varied within the development through a mixture of cluster accommodation, where students can share a kitchen space with 5 to 7 others, to individual studios for a more private living experience. Studios are dispersed throughout the plan to ensure there is a level of integration between the students in shared clusters and those in individual studios.