Skyline transformed: inside Newcastle's tallest apartment tower

A sky-high rooftop terrace, gym, pool and cinema room are among the amenities for residents in the newly completed ONE Apartments in Newcastle West.

Two years after breaking ground, Newcastle developer and builder GWH has unveiled the 193-apartment two-tower complex, which sets a new height record for the city as the tallest residential building.

The south tower soars above the city skyline at 77.8 metres.

GWH led a first-look tour of the development on the site of the former Newcastle Leagues Club at 1 National Park Street this week, revealing one of the top-floor penthouses and the resort-style amenities.

Residents can access an amenity deck, which houses a gym, a sauna, an outdoor heated pool, and a games room with a pool table.

Shared social spaces include a cinema room and two rooftop entertainment areas with kitchenette barbecue areas and bookable private zones designed to capitalise on the 360-degree views stretching across the city, harbour, and ocean.

ONE Apartments is the only complex in Newcastle with a private cinema room.

"Each project, each year, the standard levels up," GWH executive director Grahame Chevalley said.

"Buyers expect more and there is a lot more competition in Newcastle, so you have to have a point of difference."

The apartments take in expansive views ranging from harbour and city outlooks, and ocean and district views on the south-facing side.

The balconies and terraces are generously sized and, depending on the position, capture both harbour and ocean views.

Local buyers drive demand 

GWH has sold 84% of the 193 apartments, with a significant number of buyers coming from the Newcastle and Hunter region.

"I downsized from a three-bedroom home, but the rooms in this complex are larger than any of the complexes I looked at," said Sue Olsson, a long-time Newcastle resident and one of the first homeowners to move in this week.

"They have put so much detail into the amenities with the gym and the pool; everything has been done very stylishly and with so much thought."

The complex's amenities and expansive views, which give her both a harbour and ocean outlook, were the deciding factor after a year-long search.

Mr Chevalley said the typical buyer is an owner-occupier, with an average age of 53, noting the complex attracts couples whose children have left home.

He describes the trend not as downsizing, but "right-sizing."

"They want to be able to lock up and leave, no gardens to look after," he said.

Built on reputation

Mr Chevalley said the sales success and strong local confidence stem from GWH's reputation as a local developer-builder.

This integrated structure has been "crucial" to delivering ONE Apartments on schedule, a key factor for buyers who researched the market for over two years, he said.

"Reputation is really important and our reputation is that we are a local company who deliver," he said.

"If you're putting down a deposit two years ago and it doesn't go ahead, you've missed that cycle in the property market.

"It's about making sure that we deliver them and deliver them to the quality that our purchasers now expect."

Architecturally, the two-tower complex was brought to life through a collaboration between Marchese Partners and Newcastle firm CKDS.

The design includes a large forecourt and modern public domain on the ground level with a public art piece by Brisbane-based artist Jennifer Marchant.

Other projects completed by GWH in the region include Macquarie Tower at Charlestown, Sky Residences in Newcastle West, and Crest Apartments in Georgetown.

The company recently began work on-site at the 280-unit ERA Apartments at the former Wests car park site in Newcastle West.

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This article was originally published on view.com.au and appears with permission.

Header image of GWH executive director Grahame Chevalley at ONE Apartments. Picture Peter Lorimer.