Students and staff at Trinity spent the afternoon on Monday October 9th exploring the many services and activities on offer at Printing House Square, the newest major building on campus.
Provost Dr Linda Doyle was there to declare the building officially open, saying: “It’s such a happy day. There’s been blood, sweat and tears in getting this building to where it is today and I want to pay tribute to the former Provost Patrick Prendergast for his commitment and effort."
Dr Doyle noted that the building has 249 student rooms, continuing a tradition at Trinity of making accommodation a key feature of campus. She added: “Accommodation, health, disability services and sport - they are interconnected in this space and I think they say a lot about the kind of landscape we want to offer our students. The students bring this place to life and are the heart and soul of it.”
Staff and students got to check out Trinity Sport’s range of sports and activities, including squash and handball, with Director of Sport and Physical Activity, Michelle Tanner and her team at hand to field questions. The state-of-the-art indoor sporting facilities have been designed to cater to a range of sports and activities, including Squash, GAA Handball, Racquet Ball and Olympic Target Shooting.
At Printing House Square, you’ll find three dynamic squash courts, each boasting an impressive 63 square meters of playing space. These courts are not only dedicated to squash but are also adaptable to host a variety of other events and activities, making them a hub for Trinity’s community.
For GAA Handball enthusiasts, Printing House Square offers a 40 x 20 handball alley – the only one of its kind in Dublin City Centre. The cutting-edge Olympic Target range which features ten lanes and two range distances, which will be fully open later this month. In keeping with our commitment to inclusivity, the sporting facilities at Printing House Square are fully accessible. We offer male, female, and universal changing rooms, complete with showers and toilets, ensuring everyone can take part in sport and physical activity at Printing House Square.
Director of the College Health Service Dr David McGrath and the rest of the College health team showed visitors around the new medical centre, with free blood pressure checks, free condoms and free bike lights on offer as part of the Healthy Trinity: Smarter Travel initiative. The all new Trinity disAbility Hub, led by Director of the Disability Service Declan Treanor, was also open to introduce visitors to projects including TCD Sense, the DUNeS Neurodiversity Society and the Ability Co-op. Printing House Square is also home to a brand-new ADHD clinic, offering ongoing clinical care for patients who have an established diagnosis of ADHD.
Staff and students took tours of the new facilities through the afternoon. Designed by a team headed by McCullough Marvin Architects, Printing House Square is Trinity's first new square in 200 years. The building design has won several awards and is nominated for more, including the Mies van der Rohe Award 2023, the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.
The project has also been shortlisted for The Plan Award (Italy) 2023; its other accolades include the AAI Awards Special Mention 2023; World Architecture Festival Finalist 2023; RIAI Learning Environment Award 2023 and Irish Construction Industry Awards Large Residential Project of the Year 2022.