‘Sheffield just doesn’t seem to know how good it actually is’
People reading this blog who aren’t on Twitter may have missed the link posted at the end of last week to a great article on the Building Design website.
The author, Owen Hatherly, took a walk around the city for the magazine’s Urban trawl feature and the resulting article and follow-up blog post are well worth a read.
Eyebrows have been raised in the past in response to some of Sheffield’s planning decisions and buildings, however Owen recognises that our examples of post-war, modernist architecture are actually mostly better than what London has to offer.
Of course not everyone loves this style of building design, but reading his feature does make you look again at some of the city’s well-known landmark structures with a new appreciation.
Castle market is described as ‘a shopping centre with a weirdness and individuality that puts all the Arndales to shame’; the Manpower services building at Moorfoot and Jefferson Sheard’s electricity substation are ‘thrillingly paranoid Cold War megastructures’; and Park hill is labelled as ‘one of the great buildings of the century, anywhere – a truly astonishing architectural achievement’.
He also picks up on one of the reasons why local people have such affection for Sheffield: whichever way you look, the charming haphazard sprawl of the city is nearly always neatly framed by the beautiful surrounding countryside, which is only minutes away.
And his advice for ensuring that Sheffield remains such a unique place? We need to concentrate less on trying to be like everywhere else and spend more time celebrating the individuality of the city and its distinctive collection of buildings. With Sevenstone in the pipeline and Urban splash attempting a delicate balancing act with Park hill, this will no doubt prove quite a challenge.
Park hill: 'one of the great buildings of the century, anywhere - a truly astonishing architectural achievement'. Photo by Paolo Màrgari - paolomargari.it, used under the Creative Commons licence
shanerounce
/ 20 May, 2009I thought Urban Splash ran out of Money for developing Park Hill and that the terms of it’s listing stated it could be demolished if there was no feasible means for redevelopment?
Sheffield blog
/ 20 May, 2009The last I heard, the redevelopment of Park hill was still on – this article from 1 May says reconstruction is underway:
http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/Park-Hill-all-set-to.5225708.jp
noname
/ 20 May, 2009He’s wrong, Park Hill is a shit hole, it should be demolished. If it’s so culturally important take it down slab by slab and erect it on the south bank of the Thames opposite Westminster and shove all the politicians in it. No need for second homes and we’d be rid of one more horrible blight on our skyline.
projectsheffield
/ 21 May, 2009That blight on our skyline Park Hill is due to mismanagement from The former Labour Stalinist, who instead of taking care of what makes Sheffield Grate decided to enter a grand battle royal with the former Conservative government of Thatcher and Major, so by 1991 this city was in crises, so we got the student games, which gave us in turn Medowhell, all that the former ruling Labour concill got involved become a disaster, why we have left the blight on our skyline that is Park Hill:
I agree ‘one of the great buildings of the century, anywhere – a truly astonishing architectural achievement’ along with much of what is said in this article, the credit crunch has done us one big favour stopped for now Serverstone, now we need to look into (some are) getting what would have been demolished by Hammerson listed, placing an end to there assumption that what we need is mono culture, no what we need is to look at refurbishing, recycling those buildings such as the fire station from 1984, with thought an ideal hotel perhaps?
With the car park next door becoming a new integrated public sq? Over the road of the former wonderful now wasted Trafalgar Works, a new build of challenging architecture, perhaps move on accommodation for the city homeless, increased due to the mismanagement of the former housing stock, The former NUM a refurbishment into a youth centre?
The closing and pedestrianisation of Division Street Devonshire Street, interrogating The Moor, reopening the shops on there, and renting them out on a cheep rent for local artist, little masters?
Bringing more culture and diversity in to city, perhaps the demolition of the Grovner house hotel, or just refurbishing it for the markets, this allowing the demolition of the current ones, and opening of the ruins of Sheffield Castle under them, creating a new inner city park, and the now listed former coop is used for as little masters spaces for artisans, artist, crafts people etc..
The former Old Town Hall / Sheffield Crown Courts turned into a nightclub? And one last thing any thoughts on the former now empty BHS, where above used to rebels night club..
Russell
/ 19 June, 2009I lived there for two years at the turn of the century. Fantastic top floor flat with a great view over the city and hills beyond. The mobile toilets – aka “lifts” – had no flush facilities and there was always the occasional drug dealer stabbed. A short walk from the city centre and cheap rent. I genuinely miss it.