The Hub is Dublin City University’s Student Centre and the focal point of student life on campus. Located on the University’s main mall, it hosts a wide range of Clubs and Societies activities, as well as Students’ Union events throughout the year. With over 140 clubs and societies at DCU, the Hub plays a central role in supporting student engagement. The centre can accommodate up to 3,500 people at any one time, making it an ideal venue for talks, gigs and large-scale events.

The Hub project, which commenced in February 2016, delivered an additional 3,700 m² of purpose-built space across three storeys, with enhanced accessibility to support students’ social, cultural, global engagement and entrepreneurial activities. In total, the development spans more than 7,000 m² and includes 1,200 m² of common areas, a 400 m² amphitheatre, seven meeting rooms, two sensory meeting booths, balcony and terrace spaces and green roofs.

The building also features a dedicated entrepreneurship area comprising student workspaces, three meeting rooms, and three quiet offices.

Dlight delivered a range of creative lighting solutions for this two-phase project, including two bespoke linear luminaires manufactured by Lightnet. Lightnet Matric G5/A5 luminaires were installed to illuminate the walkways and amphitheatre. These fittings, from the Matric family, feature a 4000K colour temperature, with outputs ranging from 45W to 117W. A combination of lumen output levels was used, all integrated with a DALI dimming system to allow flexible lighting control.

The exposed ceiling design presented an opportunity for Dlight to incorporate Basic Ambient A/G6 and Matric Ready Square luminaires, delivering energy-efficient illumination that complements the overall architectural aesthetic.