Park Hill Flats Regeneration (Urban Splash)

[Truefitt]

Would be cool to cover the scafolding up with some big images or something, make it less dull.

[lewisskinner]

They did that before remember? A massive advert for Mini...

[muddycoffee]

After having a pike at the new photos showing the scaffolding. I have to say that it will truly be one of the biggest scaffolding jobs I have ever seen, especially using standard poles and joints.

They must be planning to use a large proportion of the available stuff. Good job there is a building recession and it isn't needed elsewhere maybe ?

[MDC]

Thursday's Telegraph had a letter commenting on the value of this renovation and at the end mentioned the " Young Turks of Skyscraper City". I wonder who he meant?

[Justaname]

Back to 'Romancing the Stone'.

Where do you think EH stand on the 'will you marry me?' graffiti / painting on the footbridge? They should keep it to keep in line with presering the 'historical' nature of the concrete. Would this stretch as far as iconic graffiti / love messages?

[citybus]

In case you didnt know, you can download this mini book about living in Park Hill, Hydepark & Kelvin here for free
http://www.freewebs.com/streetsinthesky/index.htm

Includes some photos & illustrations. It also details the strange rennovations done to Hyde Park

[lewisskinner]

Oooh cool, not seen that before!

[saz17]

Parkhill Flats!! For the past ten years I have always blasted them, insulted them and could never get my head around why they were ever allowed to go up, let alone why they were prohibited from coming down!

Whenever my partner and I ventured into Sheffield and came off the Parkway, I always felt compelled into passing comment about how vile they were and what a blot on the skyline they are, as if making apologies for them being there. They were however always fascinating to me, it was their ugliness that made them interesting.

Last time we visited the city centre was the first time I had seen the flats having been stripped of the walls, leaving just the concrete grid remaining. I was unsure as to what was happening, so I took it upon myself to investigate. There must be something about this vast eerie building to drive me to make these investigations. I am no architect, just a lowly, underpaid call centre worker. So really why would I have any interst? unless there was something alluring in the old concrete.

The more I delved into the history and functionality ideas of which the complex was designed on, I became more and more interested.

I do not think anyone would say that this building is the most aesthetically pleasing of constructions, although I might be wrong. However it is what the building represents. I have read on a website, might have been this one, where someone said "Ibe those flats have seen some sights" and that is what makes this building so valuable.

It is very easy to judge on appearance alone, once you actually look into things further, you begin to appreciate somethings worth. This was post war Britain, these flats were a new era, they provided the working class with modern amaenities which they had never sampled before, they were the beginning of a modern post war Britain. They were aspirational.

Yes, eventually they became a product of a society that found it all too easy to take rather than give but even with that in mind, it just makes the history of the estate more coloured.

I know of many buildings that were demolished because at the time, the powers that be thought they were " a blot on the landscape". We lost examples of history and beautiful buildings because of a few jaded views on "what looked good" at the time. Only since then have laws come into force to prevent present beliefs from suffocating our historical identity.

So having researched the history of the flats I have realised that architecture aside, we need to preserve our local history. I am so glad that the estate is not being demolished.

It is quite probable that children in generations to come will learn about Parkhill and similiar complexes and the attempts to remodernise post war Britain, if they are not aready doing so. What a shame if the building was no longer in existence to show them an example of what occured before them.

I used to hate the bloody monstrosity but having taken time out to actually learn about it, I find it fascinating. Now my only negativity about it, is how much of it they have stripped away.

Bloody long first post, sorry people! I will be watching and following the redevelopment closely.

If you have managed to read through all this blurb, thanks

Saz

[hella good]

welcome to the forum. Yes it is unfortunatley true that people do judge immediatley on apperance. Ive always loved park hill and i think the buildings honesty and grit is a beautiful thing.

[saz17]

Thanks for the welcome!!!!!

[hella good]

scaffolding on that facade is almost at the top

[muddycoffee]

Yes Welcome Saz,
Park hill flats has always been a strange one. The people who are interested in architecture generally love it, whereas the local citizenry think it is an eyesore. However when you compare it to other large but "system" built blocks of the 1950s and 1960s it has larger rooms and a very solid frame. If the estate is well managed then it could easily be a successful, even desirable place to live.
And the location could be one of its greatest assets on the edge of the city centre.

[saz17]

keep the photos coming!!

A little off topic but Im trying to find the book by Reyner Banham "New Brutalism" to look into it all a bit further

Second hand copies are going for £130!! does anyone know of anywhere I could find a reasonably priced copy please?

Thanks Saz

[hella good]

im afraid not, ive been after that same book for a while now. but if anyone does find a slightly cheaper copy, please let me know

[dazzler4]

took these last week.

[hella good]

its amazing how quickly scaffolding can go up, that was only last week and now its at the top of the building.

[saz17]

looking forward to seeing how much they will be on the market for!

[SheffCity]

However much it is, unless they clean up the surrounding area, it will be too much!

Even if this development is a success, they cannot do anything about the area which it is in, and it still remains that it has high crime and drugs problems. These will not go away because Park Hill looks nice and shiny - in fact the former will probably increase as it will be seen as somewhere for the criminals to pick up a nice treat or two for themselves.

[eighty4]

I always thought that the worst people in that area were the residents of parkhill itself, and the surrounding are was ok? I dunno maybe i'm wrong but thats the impression i got

[SheffCity]

A serious question, but where have the residents of Park Hill gone?