By Daniella Theis

Strath Union unveiled its new location on campus and opened its doors to students last weekend.

The new location is within the Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell Wing of the Learning and Teaching Building at 51 Richmond Street. 

The building, previously known as the Colville Building, recently went through a five-year, £60 million makeover, with the new Union boasting unique features such as indoor green space with trees and smart darts, several bars and cofeeshops, and a modernised menu serving bao buns and noodle alongside student classics like fish and chips and burgers.

“Strath Union is where everything happens on campus, and we can’t wait for our students to experience the new union building in all its glory,” Benn Rapson, Student Exec President at Strath Union, said. He added: “It looks amazing and is brimming with things to see, do, eat, drink and more. We’ve been developing the spaces for five years now, and we know our students are going to love it.”

The new Union replaces the much-loved John Street location which housed the Union for more than 60 years. Its closure prompted an outpouring of love across social media from past students and fans including Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon. 

“The old building at John Street holds a special place in the hearts of many, which was evident from all of the amazing memories posted on social media when we announced its closure last month,” Rapson said. He added: “Richmond Street has big shoes to fill, but we’re absolutely certain it’s up to the task. We’re so looking forward to opening the doors this weekend.”

The new location will also promote a sustainable lifestyle to students and will feature a Zero Waste Shop where students can purchase environmentally friendly items from Scotland and beyond. 

Due to the pandemic, the building will re-open and operate at a reduced capacity and further safety measures such as cashless ordering through QR code, Track and Trace and mandatory face covering when moving around the building will be implemented.

“We’re aware that COVID-19 hasn’t gone away,” Rapson said. He added: “We’ve put a number of measures in place to ensure we’re returning to campus responsibly. We want our students to get the best out of the new Union without having to worry, so we’ve taken all the necessary steps to ensure we’re going above and beyond current guidance.”

For a full list of measures in place, visit: https://www.strathunion.com/about/covid/ 

**This story was originally published as part of our digital Freshers 2021 edition on 20/09/2021. Read the full edition here.**