Park Hill Estate, Sheffield
Discussion
Did anyone else catch the documentary on the regeneration of the flats at Park Hill the other day? Just watched it on Sky+; quite interesting to see the English Heritage brigade trying to reason with the developers and QSs over cost vs ambition. It's one of those places where it is almost impossible to deny that it is a diabolical mistake of the 50s and by rights ought to be torn down forthwith, but there is something lurking there that makes it fascinating and eminiently saveable.
Terrible shame to see the architect's vision being gradually hacked back to a poor imitation of what was planned thanks to the "credit crunch". Maybe putting it back together properly is more worthy of some taxpayers' dosh than most lost causes.
I suppose with the best will in the world, there is a good likelihood that in another 50 years, assuming it ever gets (re)finished, it will be back in the same shape as it is now, and a new generation of people will be eulogising over how it should be saved from the demolition ball. Perhaps someone should have let Fred Dibnah at it a decade ago.
Terrible shame to see the architect's vision being gradually hacked back to a poor imitation of what was planned thanks to the "credit crunch". Maybe putting it back together properly is more worthy of some taxpayers' dosh than most lost causes.
I suppose with the best will in the world, there is a good likelihood that in another 50 years, assuming it ever gets (re)finished, it will be back in the same shape as it is now, and a new generation of people will be eulogising over how it should be saved from the demolition ball. Perhaps someone should have let Fred Dibnah at it a decade ago.
I have a lot of sympathy (being a child of the sixties) with the view that some architecture from that era has merit, period charm even.
Centre Point in London is, arguably, an attractive landmark now; and Trellick Tower in West London, though not particularly easy on the eye, seems to still function acceptably well.
I'd never seen Park Hill before, and maybe I shouldn't judge it from a photograph.
But I have to say it looks like a prime candidate for a controlled explosion.
Centre Point in London is, arguably, an attractive landmark now; and Trellick Tower in West London, though not particularly easy on the eye, seems to still function acceptably well.
I'd never seen Park Hill before, and maybe I shouldn't judge it from a photograph.
But I have to say it looks like a prime candidate for a controlled explosion.
There is/has been a long running campaign in the AJ and Building Design about saving Robin Hood Gardens in Londinium...
Architecture of this era was a version of brutalism, domestic structures like this less so than the 60's car parks and libraries that were built....but they hold their own moment in the architecture time-line....Renovating SOME of these buildings is a good idea I think....keeps a part of history....
Don't forget that some of the good modern architecture of today, will look bloomin awful in 30 years time too...!
Architecture of this era was a version of brutalism, domestic structures like this less so than the 60's car parks and libraries that were built....but they hold their own moment in the architecture time-line....Renovating SOME of these buildings is a good idea I think....keeps a part of history....
Don't forget that some of the good modern architecture of today, will look bloomin awful in 30 years time too...!
JCB123 said:
There is/has been a long running campaign in the AJ and Building Design about saving Robin Hood Gardens in Londinium...
Architecture of this era was a version of brutalism, domestic structures like this less so than the 60's car parks and libraries that were built....but they hold their own moment in the architecture time-line....Renovating SOME of these buildings is a good idea I think....keeps a part of history....
Don't forget that some of the good modern architecture of today, will look bloomin awful in 30 years time too...!
But they wont last long due to the way they are made. Architecture of this era was a version of brutalism, domestic structures like this less so than the 60's car parks and libraries that were built....but they hold their own moment in the architecture time-line....Renovating SOME of these buildings is a good idea I think....keeps a part of history....
Don't forget that some of the good modern architecture of today, will look bloomin awful in 30 years time too...!
It is not like a building made of stone, they will have to constantly spend millions just to keep it in the current state. They hold no real place in history, as no major event happened during the build. So they will be forgotten in years to come.
mybrainhurts said:
This is my neck of the woods...
It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
Didn't realise you were from round this neck of the woods....It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
But in reference to Park Hill - its a horrible place.
OP - You claim 50 years to get back into the current state - i doubt it woudl even take 5.
Horrible area, and nothing a large pile of dynamite wouldn't solve.
dan1981 said:
mybrainhurts said:
This is my neck of the woods...
It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
Didn't realise you were from round this neck of the woods....It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
But in reference to Park Hill - its a horrible place.
OP - You claim 50 years to get back into the current state - i doubt it woudl even take 5.
Horrible area, and nothing a large pile of dynamite wouldn't solve.
I am still alive, so it can't be that bad
May have caught something from the smackheads though.
mybrainhurts said:
This is my neck of the woods...
It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
Same here. I used to live at Gleadless but am now at Hillsborough. I wouldn't dare go there at night, which shows just how much of a candidate it is for a big ole demolition project. It would be a nice big shiny building in the middle of sIt's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
t.elster said:
But they wont last long due to the way they are made.
It is not like a building made of stone, they will have to constantly spend millions just to keep it in the current state. They hold no real place in history, as no major event happened during the build. So they will be forgotten in years to come.
Agreed on the repair issues, from the documentary it was clear that the concrete structure needed major attention in places. But I don't agree that it should be torn down simply because no major event happened during the build. Nothing major happened during the build of the Gherkin IIRC, and quite possibly in 50 or 100 years time it may be seen as "disasterous 90s architecture" but I doubt many would disagree that it is an iconic building worth keeping?It is not like a building made of stone, they will have to constantly spend millions just to keep it in the current state. They hold no real place in history, as no major event happened during the build. So they will be forgotten in years to come.
cobra kid said:
mybrainhurts said:
This is my neck of the woods...
It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
Same here. I used to live at Gleadless but am now at Hillsborough. I wouldn't dare go there at night, which shows just how much of a candidate it is for a big ole demolition project. It would be a nice big shiny building in the middle of sIt's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
t.I'd rather not nuke it tho - i'm abit close for that. (Handsworth)
dan1981 said:
cobra kid said:
mybrainhurts said:
This is my neck of the woods...
It's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
Same here. I used to live at Gleadless but am now at Hillsborough. I wouldn't dare go there at night, which shows just how much of a candidate it is for a big ole demolition project. It would be a nice big shiny building in the middle of sIt's a pile of sh!te and needs dynamite forthwith, or sooner....
Don't bother to come and look, you'll never find your way out....
t.I'd rather not nuke it tho - i'm abit close for that. (Handsworth)
When I worked in the city centre I used to park my newish Escort RS Turbo in front of the Park Hill flats and walk into Sheffield. This was when joy riding was out of control in the late 80s early 90s, the only problem I had was dodging used nappies that the scrubbers would throw out of the flats rather than use the refuse shute.
Definately nuke them along with most of the S2 area.
Definately nuke them along with most of the S2 area.
JCB123 said:
Don't forget that some of the good modern architecture of today, will look bloomin awful in 30 years time too...!
Most of it already does. Thankfully the era of the "verdi gris" panelling/roofing has ended but we now appear to be in the new dawn of wood panelling motifs appearing on every new building.
Apologies to any architects here but, with the greatest of respect, pull your fingers out your arse and stop copying each other? Or do developers now just pick from a catalogue?
ETA: I realise architecture "suffers" from trends and fashions as much as any design-led industry, but the problem is that, as opposed to clothes fashion where a trend lasts for a season, buildings are often around an awful lot longer than that. We're stuck with them.
Park Hill/Manor could be/are cool buildings actually, if only they weren't housing.
Edited by DrTre on Tuesday 12th May 09:34
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