The idea of a literary centre at Newman House began with a discussion between Eamonn Ceannt, Bursar / Vice-President for Capital Development of University College Dublin, and a representative of the National Library of Ireland, at Bewley's Café.

[5] The museum architectural project began in 2012,[8] and design was worked on from 2014, based on a conversion of the Newman House complex, the original home of University College Dublin, on St Stephen's Green.

A major part of the work was the development of a museum-grade central stairway, a lift and modern fire escape provisions.

The ground floor is themed place and contains immersive displays, the first voice and the second inspiration, which includes an area for visitors to produce their own work.

1" of Ulysses, which he inscribed to a patron, Harriet Weaver,[5] and the Riverrun of Language, named from the first word of Joyce's Finnegans Wake, which responds to visitor movements with "sound showers of spoken literature and folklore".

[14] The museum planned from before opening for both a specialist research library and outreach programmes for adults and school children.

[8] Operation of the museum café, The Commons, on the lower ground floor, and planned to have direct access from the street and Iveagh Gardens,[8] is contracted to Peaches and Domini Kemp.

[17] The adaptation work on the building was a shortlisted nominee for the Public Choice Award of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland 2020.