The now council-approved regeneration plans for the Grade II* listed Park Hill Flats by Urban Splash and Sheffield City Council.
Article from the Sheffield Star:
DEVELOPERS Urban Splash say their aim is "to make Park Hill the best place in Sheffield, period".
But it won't be the first time someone has tried that.
Back in the 1950s high-rise housing was considered the answer for the new post-war world. It was a way to rehouse people on a massive scale; to take them out of their cold, damp back-to-backs and give them homes fit for heroes.
Park Hill was the site of the first large scale slum clearance in Britain, the previous back-to-back housing was known as 'Little Chicago' in the 1930s, due to the violent crimes committed there.
Architects Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn had a vision of streets in the sky – a world apart from the crumbling slums.
Its broad decks, wide enough for milk floats, had large numbers of front doors opening onto them with shops and post offices.
And for a while, it worked. People loved their new homes, their modern kitchens, the light and the air and the generous spaces.
The council and their architects took great care to rehouse people on a street-by-street basis, keeping neighbour next to neighbour.
But, over time, Park Hill became a victim of a changing world. The brutal 50s style of architecture never caught on, housing policies changed, unemployment gripped the country, miners lost their jobs, and steelworkers were laid off.
Gradually the complex fell into disrepair and by the 1990s it was being shown, somewhat unflatteringly, on cinema screens all over the world as part of the introduction to the Sheffield-set movie The Full Monty.
So if it didn't work before why should it work again?
Many think Park Hill is so ugly and so prominent it should be just pulled down instead - but by law a listed building cannot be demolished.
Park Hill became Grade ll* listed in 1998 and is now the largest listed building in Europe.
English Heritage argue the site is of international importance.
When the building was listed they said: "Park Hill has been regularly studied by sociologists ever since it was opened, and is one of the most successful of its type.
"The deck system was uniquely appropriate here because of the steeply sloping site allowed all but the uppermost deck to reach ground level, the impact of the long, flat topped structure rising above the city centre makes for one of Sheffield's most impressive landmarks."
Urban Splash believe by attracting chic restaurants and trendy shops the image of Park Hill can be rescued.
But will the "bacon and egg ice cream" and "snail porridge" outlined in the vision be enough to whet the appetite of the Sheffield property market?
http://www.urbansplash.co.uk
Article from the Sheffield Star:
DEVELOPERS Urban Splash say their aim is "to make Park Hill the best place in Sheffield, period".
But it won't be the first time someone has tried that.
Back in the 1950s high-rise housing was considered the answer for the new post-war world. It was a way to rehouse people on a massive scale; to take them out of their cold, damp back-to-backs and give them homes fit for heroes.
Park Hill was the site of the first large scale slum clearance in Britain, the previous back-to-back housing was known as 'Little Chicago' in the 1930s, due to the violent crimes committed there.
Architects Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn had a vision of streets in the sky – a world apart from the crumbling slums.
Its broad decks, wide enough for milk floats, had large numbers of front doors opening onto them with shops and post offices.
And for a while, it worked. People loved their new homes, their modern kitchens, the light and the air and the generous spaces.
The council and their architects took great care to rehouse people on a street-by-street basis, keeping neighbour next to neighbour.
But, over time, Park Hill became a victim of a changing world. The brutal 50s style of architecture never caught on, housing policies changed, unemployment gripped the country, miners lost their jobs, and steelworkers were laid off.
Gradually the complex fell into disrepair and by the 1990s it was being shown, somewhat unflatteringly, on cinema screens all over the world as part of the introduction to the Sheffield-set movie The Full Monty.
So if it didn't work before why should it work again?
Many think Park Hill is so ugly and so prominent it should be just pulled down instead - but by law a listed building cannot be demolished.
Park Hill became Grade ll* listed in 1998 and is now the largest listed building in Europe.
English Heritage argue the site is of international importance.
When the building was listed they said: "Park Hill has been regularly studied by sociologists ever since it was opened, and is one of the most successful of its type.
"The deck system was uniquely appropriate here because of the steeply sloping site allowed all but the uppermost deck to reach ground level, the impact of the long, flat topped structure rising above the city centre makes for one of Sheffield's most impressive landmarks."
Urban Splash believe by attracting chic restaurants and trendy shops the image of Park Hill can be rescued.
But will the "bacon and egg ice cream" and "snail porridge" outlined in the vision be enough to whet the appetite of the Sheffield property market?
http://www.urbansplash.co.uk