Viña Eases Crowds, Adds Time to Commute Between Classes

Located on Calle de la Viña, the building is the new headquarters for the Visual and Performing Arts Department and will house classes in dance, music, and theater.

The Viña building allowed more space to open up in San Ignacio Hall, which was renovated and reorganized, causing some confusion at the start of the semester.

The bookstore and Student Life Center were moved from Padre Rubio Hall to SIH, and the space that previously held the art studio has been remodeled into a lounge with access to a terrace. This extra room allows students to escape the crowded cafeteria dining hall during lunch hours and instead bask in the sunlight of the extra terrace or eat lunch in the new lounge space.

Many students welcomed the extra space, especially as the number of permanent and study abroad students grows.

“I think it’s quite necessary to have more study rooms,” said Rosalia Avia, a permanent student at SLU-Madrid. “I remember last semester, there weren’t many options for places to go study.”

The Viña building is the latest growth spurt on campus. In September 2024, the campus grew to four total buildings with the opening of Manresa Hall. Eventually, Viña will be given a historical name, reflective of SLU’s mission as a Jesuit university, according to Diana Hidalgo, a facilities coordinator. “Everything is very new—maybe wait till the dust settles,” she said.

Rori Mackenzie, a communication major, appreciates the feel of a larger campus.

“One thing I missed out on going to school in Spain is a college campus, so I like having multiple buildings,” Mackenzie said.

Still, she worries about the 10-minute walk from Viña to Manresa. At a minimum, gaps between classes are 10-15 minutes.

Sofía Ordoñez, a junior at SLU-Madrid, acknowledges the convenience of the additional spaces. But she is also concerned with the increased commute time. “It takes so long to get everywhere now,” Ordoñez said. “Having four buildings sounds really nice until you have to continuously bounce from one to the other daily. I could not imaginehaving a class at SIH and then having another one immediately after in Viña. I would be so stressed out.”

Moreover, Noella Connor, a Spanish and communication major at SLU-Madrid, has found the new additions to be insufficient. She believes SLU-Madrid needs more cafeterias and food services, which are currently offered only at the San Ignacio and Padre Rubio Halls.

“Imagine if I have two classes back to back in Viña, and I want to get a cookie from the cafeteria — I can’t,” Connor said. “With the time it will take me to go to the cafeteria, get the cookie, stand in line, and then run back to Viña, I’m gonna be like 20 minutes late to a 50-minute class.”

Additionally, with Viña still undergoing some renovations, some have noticed that it feels “cold” and “unfinished.” “The lack of decorations or common spaces makes the building feel impersonal and distant from student life,” said Mackenzie.

According to Itzel Álvarez, a receptionist at Viña, more student areas are planned for the building’s future. This includes a possible lounge space, though the project’s timeline is currently unknown. Many students remain oblivious to the addition of Viña, and others are confused by the lack of communication from campus leaders about the building.

“I’ve heard about it through students, but that’s about it,” said Avia Maria Alice Neves, an economics major, shared a similar experience.

“I had just heard someone talking about it, but I didn’t see any marketing about it,” she said. “I don’t even know where it is, to be honest.”

The building has not been officially announced to the SLU-Madrid community. According to Álvarez, administrators are waiting until Viña is completely done with construction. Construction crews are nearing completion, with much of the work having been completed in time for the visit of SLU’s new President, Edward Feser, in October.