PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Saturday (October 14), The Hub, Elphinstone Road, Old Aberdeen – full details below
Scottish singer/songwriter Sandi Thom, who shot to fame this year after web casting her gigs from a basement in her Tooting flat, will visit the University of Aberdeen this weekend to officially open The Hub.
Sandi, who hails from the North-east town of Macduff, will perform an exclusive preview set from her smash-hit debut album, Smile It Confuses People, on Saturday (October 14) as part of a special gig to mark the opening of the £8million building.
The Hub is a newly-refurbished dining, leisure and social facility that will cater mainly for the needs of students, while also welcoming staff and local community. The building houses a range of services such as dining facilities catering for up to 450 people, a variety of shops including Subway – one of the world’s biggest sandwich companies; BookEnds – a second hand book store run by the Aberdeen University Students’ Association; Endsleigh Insurance; a general convenience store - shophub; and a hair salon - hairhub. The building will be open from Monday - Saturday from 8:30am to 8:30pm and Sunday from 11am – 4pm.
Secretary to the University, Steve Cannon, who is overseeing the project, said the opening of The Hub was much anticipated within the University and the wider community. He said: “The Hub is a flagship venue, designed in partnership with the students and staff, providing first class facilities for all members of the University and the local community.”
The new glass-covered entrance, located on Elphinstone Road, will lead to an open foyer area and centralised reception. From here guests can access the main ground floor area and visit the retail focused ‘shoppinghub’, the Student Advice and Support Office or simply attend a meeting in one of The Hub’s meeting rooms.
Also located on the ground floor area, overlooking St Machar Drive, will be the Tiki Internet Café. An ideal place for visitors to relax, the cafe further underlines the University’s commitment to sustainability by selling only organic and Fairtrade coffee. The Hub – a three-storey facility - will also be the new home for the Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA), Joblink and the Student Accommodation Office.
One of the main highlights of the new centre will be the ‘globalhub’, situated on the first floor above the building’s main entrance. With a display of plasma screens showing news headlines from across the world and a range of international newspapers, visitors to the globalhub will be able to relax, catch up on world events whilst meeting fellow visitors. The central dining area ‘hubgrub’ will also be located on the first floor, where five different food units will offer customers a range of cuisine, from oriental noodles, to Italian pasta and fast food burgers to freshly prepared salads.
Stephanie Millar, the University’s Sales and Marketing Manager, said the vision for The Hub design was inspired by modern techniques that she hoped would appeal to students, staff and visitors alike. She said: “The Hub is a major milestone for the University. It demonstrates our commitment to providing top-class facilities benefiting from contemporary design all within the central location of King’s College. The Hub will provide students, staff and local community with quality dining facilities, dynamic social areas and professional meeting points.”
Richard Millar, President of the Aberdeen University Students’ Association, said the opening of The Hub would undoubtedly play a key role in recruiting new students to the University. He said: “The Hub will be an attractive social centrepiece on campus for students. I am glad the University is committed to providing high quality locations for students to socialise.
“One in nine people in Aberdeen are students, and with 13,900 at the University of Aberdeen alone, The Hub is sure to be a popular venue.”
Robin Harper, Rector for the University of Aberdeen, said: “I would like to congratulate the University of Aberdeen on its commitment to providing some of the best facilities for student services in Scotland. I look forward to calling in to The Hub during my next regular visit to the Students’ Association.”
This weekend’s opening party is set to attract an audience of around 1,000 people including students, staff and the general public. As well as a live performance from Sandi Thom, guests will also be able to enjoy a number of promotions including free haircuts in hair hub, giveaways and a selection of food and drink.
Doors for The Hub’s opening party will be open from 9.00am until 3.00pm, with Sandi’s performance expected to take place between 12.30pm – 1.00pm.
· Sandi Thom plays at Aberdeen music venue Moshulu on Saturday night. Doors open at 7.30pm.