Development 2022-2023
At Dublin City University, our campuses are always evolving as we work to ensure that our environment is sustainable and that students have the world-class facilities and teaching spaces they need to learn and flourish. The past year has seen the completion and progression of a number of major capital projects, many of them part of DCU’s ambitious Campus Development Plan.
In May, we reached the halfway point in the construction of Polaris, the University’s flagship STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) facility, located at the Collins Avenue entrance to our Glasnevin campus. The 10,000m² building will further advance DCU’s international reputation for excellence in STEM and will have the capacity to accommodate over 3,000 additional students, while providing a new home for DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance.
The new Woodlock Hall Library had its official opening in November. The former refectory on the All Hallows campus has been redeveloped as a state-of-the-art library space, which houses part of the Jesuits’ Milltown Library Collection. The design, by Mullarkey Pedersen, was named as one of five recipients of the Architectural Association of Ireland Awards 2022.
This year saw the completion of DCU’s €3m upgrade of the facilities at the national athletics stadium. The University was granted a 40-year lease of Morton Stadium by Fingal County Council in 2022, and committed to redeveloping facilities there for the benefit of students as well as the local and national athletics community. The project included the laying of a new indoor and outdoor track, upgrades to the high-performance gym and changing rooms and new stand seating.
A key element of the Campus Development Plan is the development of student accommodation on the Glasnevin campus. These plans received some welcome support from the government when the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD announced an investment of more than €40 million to support the delivery of 405 student accommodation beds.
The University has planning permission for a total of 1,240 beds but the escalating costs of construction means the development of affordable on-campus accommodation was not viable in the absence of support from the state.
The university will be providing ongoing annual subvention to ensure the new beds are as affordable as possible for students and their families. There will also be a discounted rate available to SUSI grant recipients for a portion of the new capacity.