Dear St Marys Student,
The Student Heart project is part of a continuous drive to develop the St Mary’s campus, as well as providing an inspiring studying and living environment for our students. The current works principally focus on the Library through to the Student Bar and Hall and the surrounding external areas. We are creating a consistent walkway that will connect the Library, Dolce Vita Café, plus an additional new extension.
What will the new space offer?
To help everyone find the environment that suits them best, the new extension will provide a mix of areas:
- a flexible area for socialising and studying – a spacious, open plan area that will offer booth-style and table seating, plus a video wall for content sharing and entertainment.
- five new 1-2-1 rooms – offering alternative spaces to work and study, these rooms will allow for collaborative working, group study, 1-2-1 support space or quiet study space where you can close the door but still be part of the campus environment.
- three refurbished teaching Rooms – based on the first floor these rooms will provide a modern learning environment, benefiting from new furniture and audio-visual technology.
Temporary closure of the Dolce Vita Café
As part of these works, we are also constructing a new Café/Bar in the Dolce Vita to provide a bottle bar, cocktail section and Café area. In order for us to start this part of the project, we need to close the Dolce Vita Café for a short period of time. The Dolce Vita Café will be closed from Tuesday 04 January 2022 and will reopen on the 7th February 2022 in time for scheduled teaching. We have chosen January as this is generally a quieter period of the year on our campus and we hope this will minimise any impact on staff and students.
Will hot drinks still be available?
Staff and students will still be able to purchase hot drinks from the Refectory. Two self-serve coffee/hot drinks machines are available in the Ref and we will also have a small pop-up coffee station offering fresh Barista coffee and hot drinks for the duration of the Dolce Vita closure.
When is the project due to be completed?
The first-floor refurbished teaching rooms, J Block Corridor, and the new lift will be complete for occupation on 28th January in time for scheduled teaching. The link extension from the library through to the Student Bar and Hall and the surrounding external areas has been delayed due to supplier issues, works are now due to be complete by the end of March 2022. We’ll share details about the open event in the new year.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank staff and students in advance for their patience while we progress this project which will deliver much-improved facilities for everyone. If you have any questions about the current works or the wider Student Heart project please contact the University’s Estates team, by emailing estates@stmarys.ac.uk.
Chris Paget
Director of Estates and Campus Services