Trinity College Dublin has decided not to reopen the Science Gallery after concluding it is unable to develop a sustainable operating and financial model.
Instead, Trinity is to refurbish the flagship exhibition space on Pearse Street as the college’s first dedicated student centre.
The Science Gallery opened in 2012 and went on to attract more than 400,000 visitors a year. It closed in February 2022, a move which drew criticism from students and the scientific community, after accumulating losses of €1.65 million following a drop in grants and donations.
Trinity said at the time that it would explore options for reimagining and reopening the gallery on a sustainable basis.
In a message to staff on Wednesday afternoon, Prof Gerard McHugh, Trinity’s dean of development, said despite its best efforts this was not possible and a decision had been taken by the university’s board not to reopen the gallery.
“Trinity continues to be proud of the impact that the Science Gallery has had here in Dublin and across the world. In the years ahead, the University will continue to work with the international network of science galleries in pursuing its mission,” he said.
Instead, the board approved in principle a plan to locate a student centre on the ground floor and first floor of the Naughton Institute.
The university said it will proceed to the next step of procurement and there will be collaboration and consultation along the way with the different stakeholders involved, according to a separate message sent to staff and students signed by the college’s bursar, Eleanor Denny, students’ union president Jenny Maguire and others.
The plan involves refurbishing the area to accommodate spaces for student use. In 2017, students voted to financially support a new student centre through a €30 student levy, which has been collected since 2019. The centre will provide students with a larger space of their own in which to interact, relax and host activities and events.
“The reuse of the space aligns with Trinity’s sustainability agenda regarding campus development,” the message states.
“Reusing the former Science Gallery space reduces the need for a new building, thereby saving on construction costs and carbon emissions, while giving our students the additional space they need and deserve.”
It is envisaged that the plan to develop the new student centre will progress with a view to opening in 2026, subject to statutory approvals.
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