After months of construction, the renovations to Trinity’s Sport Centre are finished. Construction has brought disruptions to gym goers over the summer months, with a total closure of the gym in the past week and a reduction in floor space throughout the summer.
The changes include a new reception area, a 33 per cent increase in the size of the free weights area, a new functional training rig and a new fitness studio on the first floor.
The Sport Centre has also received a much-needed makeover which may attract more students into the gym. This was reflected in a statement by mechanical engineering student Tiarnan O’Kelly, who is a member of the student sports forum, released by Trinity Sport: “Not only have they increased the gym’s capacity, it’s been given a much needed spruce up. Both of these facts will draw more attention to the gym and hopefully result in a much higher customer satisfaction.”
The renovation follows a number of initiatives to improve the college’s sports facilities and performance after new pitches for the GAA teams were opened at Santry Avenue earlier in the year.
The “Raising our Game” initiative which spans from the 2015/16 to the 2017/18 seasons outlines the college’s commitment to expand and improve Trinity’s facilities as well as acquiring new facilities such as the Iveagh Sports Ground, with talks still under negotiation.
A great deal of the funding for this project came from the student-funded sports centre charge. This charge was increased from €90 to €120 in April 2015 after a student referendum which saw 88 per cent of voting students choose to increase the charge.
The expansion was much needed as the number of gym goers grows every year. Last year saw a seven per cent increase in the number of people using the gym with the cramped conditions being a sore spot for many users.
