€25m building to enhance institute’s capabilities

A €25 million tourism and leisure studies building for Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has brought capital investment at the main campus to more than €70m in seven years.

The high-profile 7,700sq m (about 82,000sq ft) building occupies a site at the western end of the campus and provides an architectural counterpoint to the landmark Walton Information and Communications Technology building, the Luke Wadding library and the health sciences building at the city end.

The state-of-the art facility will accommodate 50 staff and 1,050 students pursuing courses in the services sector.

Space in the facility will also be available for languages, recreation and leisure students with teaching areas, lecture theatres, lecture rooms, computer and language laboratories, support areas and staff accommodation all provided for in the design.

Research activity that will build the institute and region’s profile in the services sector both nationally and internationally will also be accommodated in the facility.

Welcoming the building’s completion, WIT director Professor Kieran Byrne said it was the latest landmark in the programme of capital investment which has been supported by the Government under consecutive national development plans. “This latest addition to our suite of buildings along the Cork Road is another excellent piece of architecture that works well alongside the existing buildings from A & D Wejchert Architects,” said Prof Byrne.

“The facilities that this latest expansion provides us with will allow us extend on existing provision and develop greater research specialisations in areas as diverse as culinary arts and food sciences which dovetail well with the strengths of the southeast region.”

Prof Byrne said that the building will also greatly enhance services on offer to both students and staff and facilitate the provision of programmes to strengthen Ireland’s economic performance in the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector.

“In the southeast and countrywide, this is an important sector through which the region earns considerable foreign and domestic revenue.”

The building hand-over was also attended by John McConnell on the day he retired as the institute’s head of physical development.

According to Mr McConnell, who saw the institute’s campus transformed during the 35 years he spent there, the plans for the facility were prepared after close analysis of international models.

“This building represents the largest single capital project the institute has undertaken and will accommodate a variety of purposes and flexible uses. As it is being completed, I want to pay tribute to the entire project team within the institute and our various professional advisors, and contractors, for their work in bringing it to completion in the less than two years since we had the announcement of funding for the project in late May 2006.”