Introduction

The unifying theme of this case study is the experience of advocating for and planning the Learning Commons building at the University of Galway across a period of 25 years. During that time a series of major changes has shaped the specification and, indeed, the concept of the building. These changes have originated in a mix of local and global factors. Locally, institutional estates strategy, the direction of growth of the campus, rises in student numbers, a far more diverse and demanding student population and evolving priorities in the strategy of the University have been major influencers. Changes from without, notably global emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusion as well as sustainability, and, in higher education especially, new approaches to teaching and learning, have had a significant impact. These have sat alongside new building regulations, construction industry inflation and technological evolution. User needs and expectations are fundamental to the design of any library building, and these too have changed hugely, mandating the inclusion of a very different range and distribution of spaces from those envisaged in the late 1990s.

Advocacy for reimagining the library building at the University of Galway has needed to evolve and to accommodate different political circumstances across two and a half decades. If the range of factors outlined above has shaped the building, politics have driven the direction of the project at large through a series of ups and downs, changes in institutional leadership, harnessing of student support, engagement with local politicians and the timing of funding opportunities.