The Students’ Union stairs will be demolished this month

In mid-November, the SU stairs on Park Place will be demolished during construction for Cardiff University’s new Centre for Student Life.

A temporary entrance will be put in place near Cathays Station until November 2020, which may have significant implications for security during events such as YOLO and Juice with hundreds of students requiring access within a short space of time.

An accessible lift to the second floor of the SU will be available and the Senghennydd entrance will be open as usual. When the centre is complete, Senghennydd Road will link with Park Place via a tunnel.

Students will also be able to access the SU through the Centre for Student Life as the buildings will be connected.

Further disruptions are expected as the new building is joined to the Students' Union. This has already included the installation of gates at the bottom of the Students' Union stairs, which are closed for short intervals of 2-3 minutes to enable deliveries and materials to be moved around.

The buildings works have become a familiar sight for Cardiff students

The new building will be a home to the University's Student Support services, currently located in various buildings on Park Place. It will also contain new lecture theatres and commercial units.

A spokesperson for the Centre for Student Life told The Cardiff Tab:

“Inevitably, in a major construction project of this kind, there is some disruption for our students. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We, along with our contractors, are working hard to keep any disruption to a minimum.

"The Centre for Student Life is part of Cardiff University’s biggest campus upgrade – an investment costing approximately £600 million.

"The centre will work in partnership with the current Student Union to extend and improve the services provided for students. The new building will include additional study spaces, consultation rooms, a 550-seat auditorium and quiet contemplation spaces.

A Students' Union spokesperson said:

“The Students Union is in complete support of the Centre for Student Life development and has worked in partnership with the university over the past couple years to shape this vision. The project has come about after many years of student feedback that has identified the need to centralise vital support services such as counselling and wellbeing. We are delighted the university has listened to students and are making the largest investment in the student experience in a generation.”

Cardiff University students will have to wait to find out how this new development may affect student life as the three-year project is slightly behind schedule. Construction began in early 2018 and completion is expected by May 2021.