The new Printmaking Workshop in Grangegorman is shortlisted for this year's Institute of Designers Ireland awards.

Construction started at the end of August 2020 of the 315m2 Printmaking Workshop development at the new TU Dublin campus in Grangegorman.

The single storey steel framed building was designed by Scullion Architects in association with Plus Architecture and details a saw-tooth profile roof structure with integrated windows at each section and roof solar panels. The light filled internal space provides teaching and technical support spaces associated with print making and screen printing for the Technological University Dublin’s School of Creative Arts.

After a break in construction due to Covid-19 restrictions, this project was completed and handed over to the University in June 2021.

There are a number of derelict sites in the area. A few weeks ago it was reported that housing activists had regained access to a site following an attempted eviction. The site, Sunnyvale, was/is occupied by a protest group operating under the name "That Social Centre". To the best of my knowledge the address in question is 23 Prussia Street.

I do not know the history of this shop in my photograph, which ceased trading a number of years ago, but the street on which it is located will undergo major changes in the near future as at least two sites are to be redeveloped.

In January planning permission was submitted for a student accommodation complex [541 units] to replace the Park Shopping Centre, The original shopping centre dating from 1984 adjoins the TU university campus which was scheduled to have 20,000 students by the end of 2020 but I am fairly certain that the target has yet to be realised.

It would appear that planning permission has been awarded late in 2020: "Demolition of existing buildings, construction of 585 no. bedspace student accommodation, 16 no. Co-Living apartments, 4 no. townhouses and associated site works."

I could wrong but there is another student complex underway on the other side of Prussia Street. The Topline Windows & PVC site at 68 Prussia Street has been cleared or is being cleared.

Photographs of an area which includes the Broadstone Plaza, the Grangegorman Gate and the TU East Quad.

Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBStudios) and AHR were appointed by the Eriugena consortium to design the Central and East Quads respectively for the new Grangegorman Campus

Schools based in the area include Creative Arts, Media, Social Sciences, as well as the Conservatory of Music & Drama. AHR and Eriugena took the bold decision to depart from the exemplar design which accompanied the brief to create a series of dramatic atrium spaces around which the creativity of the various students can be experienced and shared. Double and triple height learning spaces combine with tightly controlled enclosed spaces to give a rich mix of formal and informal learning opportunities.

Gareth Banks, AHR regional director, said: “The arts and media courses united within the new East Quad building will provide an exciting new creative hub for the city. We’re thrilled to have provided students with unique and engaging resources for their learning. Not only will the students of TU Dublin benefit from the development’s industry-leading spaces, but also the public, who will be able to enjoy outstanding music performances and theatre productions held within the 400-seat concert hall.”

The 16,940m2 East Quad building offers state-of-the-art facilities to house a diverse range of schools within the College of Arts and Tourism, incorporating specialist design elements to allow the highest standards from the academic organisation. AHR worked with an array of technical consultants, including TV and theatre experts, to deliver dedicated spaces and new possibilities for students within the building. These areas include art and design studios, workshops, rehearsal spaces and recording studios, as well as a TV studio, production suite and black box theatre with full blue screen facilities. AHR has also offered to provide the College with 3D architectural models of the campus, enabling Game Design students to create games based within their very own university as part of their syllabus.

Throughout the building, AHR has created natural gathering points to inspire creative meetings between students. These spaces actively encourage collaboration, leading students from the different creative disciplines to interact, exchange ideas and develop valuable relationships.