Alexandra College Campus Masterplan

Alexandra College appointed MOLA Architecture in 2016 to prepare a Campus Development Framework for its 6-hectare estate in Milltown, Dublin 6. The study looked ahead to the College’s fiftieth anniversary in 2022 and aimed to update ageing buildings, accommodate rising enrolment and better integrate teaching, boarding and sports facilities. A central ambition of the first masterplan was the creation of a car-free campus heart, achieved by relocating internal roads and concentrating vehicular access at the perimeter, allowing safe pedestrian and universal access to be organised around a sequence of landscaped quadrangles and a unifying green network.

A revised masterplan was prepared in 2023 to reflect updated educational priorities, increased capacity requirements and the introduction of a dedicated STEAM building, alongside stronger commitments to sustainability, active travel and contemporary learning environments. Three interconnected hubs are defined for the Junior School, Senior School and Boarding, supported by the phased removal and adaptive reuse of older buildings.

The masterplanning process has provided a clear rationale for a number of architectural projects, transforming the character and perception of the campus: the new Campus entrance (2023), the new Dormitory Building (2023), the refurbishment and extension of the Dining Hall (2025), the repurposing of former student residences and, notably, the planned STEAM Building which will announce Alexandra College from Milltown Road and act as both a point of arrival and a gateway to the wider campus.

Together, these projects demonstrate how targeted interventions, aligned with strategic campus planning, can support the long-term evolution of a historic educational institution.