Maynooth Uni unveil €5.7m refurb

LOCAL Minister James Lawless TD has officially opened the Maynooth University Arts Building following a €5.7m refurbishment to modernise the building while preserving its unique character.

Minister Lawless, appropriately the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research Innovation and Science met with staff and students on his visit to campus.

He also viewed a new Research Ireland-funded mass spectrometer and other high-tech research equipment, before cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the refurbished building, one of the main teaching centres on campus.

“These developments will provide state-of-the-art facilities to enhance students' on-campus experience,” said Minister Lawless.

“With Maynooth being my local university, I was familiar with the campus and the old arts block so I was extremely impressed at the architecture and form in the reworked building.

“This new structure is greener, more sustainable and creates a more pleasant place for students to interact particularly the new all-purpose hall where I met many students congregating during my visit."

Originally designed by the renowned Irish architect Robin Walker in the 1970s, the building is one of the oldest on campus and is of significant architectural interest as it was designed in the style of the famous modernist architect, Mies van der Rohe.

Despite evolving over time in response to changes in teaching and learning needs, the Arts Building needed a significant upgrade to bring it into line with MU’s energy efficiency and climate action goals.

It was identified as having the poorest energy performance of MU’s building stock as the façade had single glazed windows, walls with little or no insulation, and only natural ventilation by opening the windows.

The refurbishment, led by RKD Architects, was delayed by Covid-19 but went ahead over summer 2023 and 2024 to minimise disruption during term time.

The upgrade included a complete façade replacement while remaining faithful to the original design to improve energy performance, and the installation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in classrooms and lecture spaces.

There were also bathroom refurbishments, upgrades to classrooms, staff offices and external courtyard, as well as the introduction of a new student common room with 240 seats.

Robin Walker, who designed the arts building, was a key figure in Irish architecture, along with his partners, Michael Scott and Ronald Tallon who became synonymous with Irish modernism during the boom period that followed a major shift in Irish economic policy in the 1960s.