TU Dublin’s full campus development at Grangegorman will be the largest capital investment in Irish Higher Education in over a century.
Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D unveiled two major campus buildings costing €220m in Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) today. The newly opened East Quad and Central Quad on the University’s campus in Grangegorman are now home to over 10,000 students and 1,200 staff representing a range of disciplines in the Arts, Humanities, and STEM subjects. The investment, the largest in Irish Higher Education in over a century, will see the University consolidate all of its Dublin City activities on a purpose-built, state-of-the-art campus.
Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe T.D. said: “The Government is strongly committed to supporting students in pursuit of their education, and will invest approximately €4.1bn in total in 2023 to the Higher Education, Further Education and Training (FET) and Research and Innovation sectors. Within this substantial investment, the Technological University (TU) agenda over the last several years has represented a significant reform in the Higher Education landscape and in ensuring the delivery of a highly skilled and versatile workforce for Ireland, capable of meeting current as well as future economic and societal challenges brought about at national and regional level in response to global trends.
“Such transformation and adaptation is key in safeguarding our future, underpinning our economic and social wellbeing for years to come. This investment in TU Dublin and the Grangegorman campus represents one of the most significant capital investments in Irish Higher Education over the last century and will now support over 10,000 students and 1,200 staff across a range of academic areas. Such investment, in addition to the other significant Exchequer and National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) resources provided to date, further highlights the Government’s support for the development and delivery of the Government’s TU agenda.
Welcoming attendees to the unveiling of the East Quad and Central Quad, the President of TU Dublin, Professor David FitzPatrick, said, “Today’s official opening in Grangegorman represents a significant landmark in our ambition to deliver a world-leading University campus in the heart of Dublin City. Today, we celebrate the wonderful progress that we have made, yet we are less than halfway through the construction planned for this transformative investment for the University.”
Signalling potential challenges to the completion of the Grangegorman Campus, Professor David FitzPatrick continued, “The University generated much of the funding for the Grangegorman Campus by selling former campus buildings in Dublin City; however, uncertainty in the commercial property market, coupled with a substantial increase in construction costs, are hampering plans for the development. We look forward to working with Minister Donohoe and his colleagues to find alternative funding solutions to progress our campus development plans and build on-campus accommodation, providing future TU Dublin students, including those sitting Leaving Certificate examinations next week, with a world-class University experience.”
The East Quad, which accommodates almost 4,000 students, is the Cultural Hub Grangegorman campus and a new multidisciplinary arts space for Dublin, featuring a 340-seat Concert Hall, an 80-seat Black Box Theatre, an 80-seat Recital Hall and a range of exhibition spaces. Located beside the Green Luas Broadstone University stop and just 16 minutes from St. Stephen’s Green, the building is an exciting new addition to the cultural life of the capital. The Central Quad, catering for approximately 6,000 students studying Science, Health, Culinary Arts, Tourism, Hospitality, Computer Science and Engineering, is at the heart of the Grangegorman campus. Facilities include highly specialised laboratories, state-of-the-art kitchens and hospitality training areas, and large lecture halls, including the 250-seater Intel Auditorium.
In addition to a milestone event attended by Minister Donohoe, students, staff, industry and community partners, TU Dublin and the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) are hosting Revealing Grangegorman, an exciting programme of events for the community to enjoy and see the extensive transformation the University is bringing to Dublin 7. Highlights include a bespoke tour hosted by the School of Culinary and Food Technology of its state-of-the-art facilities and a chance to experience samples of the student’s work.
TU Dublin’s Art, Design and Media Graduate Exhibition will launch later today, presenting the work of over 200 graduating students from creative disciplines located in the East Quad and will run daily from 10am to 5pm until Saturday, 10th June. The history of the Grangegorman campus will also be brought to life by drama students of TU Dublin Conservatoire in a performance of ‘The Asylum Workshop, written by Colin Murphy, based on fragments from the archive of the institution once known as the “Lunatic Asylum”, Grangegorman. This play, supported by Grangegorman Histories, was a sell-out at its limited run in December, and tickets are available here.
The full programme of events is available on TU Dublin’s website.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor:
- Programme of Events – https://www.tudublin.ie/explore/news/tu-dublin-unveils-its-new-home-in-grangegorman-with-exciting-programme-of-events.html
- Grangegorman Campus Development
TU Dublin’s campus in Grangegorman is the largest investment in Higher Education in Ireland in over a century and brings together many of the University’s Dublin City activities in one vibrant, cutting-edge campus, providing our students with an incomparable educational experience.
The latest development phase at Grangegorman was completed at the height of the pandemic, with the University commencing occupation in 2021. Now that the buildings are fully operational, accommodating over 10,000 students and staff, the University is hosting a launch event to unveil the €220m East Quad and Central Quad. The development in Grangegorman has also beautifully restored a historic part of Dublin City, with two existing buildings – the Lower House and Rathdown House – significantly upgraded and refurbished to offer a range of facilities and services to students and staff.
The current phase of the Grangegorman Development will see the completion of the Academic Hub + Library in 2024, delivering 12,600 square metres of library and learning spaces. In addition, the building will become home to a range of student and staff supports, including the Career Development Centre, Societal Engagement, Maths Learning Centre, Disability Support Service, and People Development. This development, which incorporates the protected structure North House into its design, will ensure that TU Dublin’s library requirements for the campus are all met on a collocated physical footprint.
Scheduled to open in 2025, the West Quad will be home to Faculty of Business students currently located on Aungier Street. The building, at approximately 20,000m2, will offer a range of technology-enabled learning environments, including turn-and-learn lecture theatres, flexible classrooms, collaborative and informal workspaces, and specialised laboratories for Business Innovation activities.
The FOCAS Research Institute, currently located on Camden Row in Dublin 8, will join TU Dublin’s other research building – the Greenway Hub on the Grangegorman Campus in 2025. Together, these facilities will form the University’s Research Hub, offering our postgraduate students and researchers state-of-the-art laboratories and office space.
The Indoor Sports Centre (Phase 1 – Dry Sports) is the first phase of a two-phase project that will provide a c. 15,500m2 complex comprising wet and dry sports. Phase 1 will provide over 6,500m2 of space to incorporate a Sports Hall, Fitness Suite, Squash Court, Climbing Wall, Changing Rooms, Assessment and Treatment Rooms, Equipment Storage and all other associated support areas. This 4-storey building will provide sports facilities, not just for the University, but also for the local community.
Future Projects include:
- A new Engineering Quad to replace our Bolton Street building and bring the final part of our old city centre locations to Grangegorman.
- A new purpose-built Student Centre for Grangegorman.
- Student Accommodation to cater for the large student population at Grangegorman
- Phases 2 & 3 of our Indoor Sports Centre with a wide range of sports facilities.
We are TU Dublin
Deeply embedded in our region, TU Dublin has campuses in Dublin City Centre, in Blanchardstown and in Tallaght, and, through our major infrastructural development plan, we are currently investing over €500 million in new, state-of-the-art, technology-enabled facilities to enhance our students’ experience.
A leader in STEAM disciplines, TU Dublin supports the largest cohorts of students of business, media, culinary arts, and the creative and performing arts. We are passionate about life-long learning, and as the largest provider of part-time education, we make an important contribution to the economic life of Ireland, enabling capacity building for the future.
Our distinguished researchers and innovators are pioneers in science and technology discovery, play active roles in informing policy and standards; and contribute to the creative life of Ireland. Our award-winning technology transfer and business incubation activity has delivered over 400 new sustainable businesses with an economic value of almost €700 million.
With an international outlook, we welcome students and staff from around the world, while our strong international partnerships provide opportunities for student and staff exchange programmes, major cross-collaboration research projects, and employment opportunities. We are immensely proud of our network of 100,000+ TU Dublin graduates who are making their careers here in Ireland and in 70 countries worldwide.
Joining the ranks of exceptional technological universities around the world, TU Dublin is planning an exciting future… Infinite Possibilities. https://www.tudublin.ie/