RHIANNON FLITCROFT, ATY2, 13433898

Modernist Building Analysis Park Hill, Sheffield- An evaluation of the approach taken to the construction of the estate

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

1

Park Hill Estate, Sheffield

I have chosen to base my report around option 1- evaluate the approach taken to the construction of the estate. Show the various aspects of

site construction and materials used.

Image courtesy of the Architectural Press Archive/RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image courtesy of the Architectural Press Archive/RIBA Library Photographs Collection

The Park Hill estate in Sheffield, South Yorkshire was originally built in 1957 by the two young architects, Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn, and it was

completed in 1961. Today, it is of historic and architectural importance, due to it being listed at Grade II* in 1998. It is an example of brutalist

design, which is a style that is very heavy on concrete. Brutalism came from the French beton brut, which literally means ‘raw concrete’. The

design for Park Hill was influenced by the Le Corbusier, Modernist Swiss architect and designer.

Many people were left homeless after the destruction of the slum terraces, caused by the Second World War. The Labour Government took

action to rehouse the working class families. They decided to compact all the people into high rise building. It was the most ambitious public

housing scheme in post war Britain. The idea was to retain a sense of community. There were 995 flats built, and it proved a very popular place

to live. This housing scheme seemed to work, as the number of people in Park Hill grew. It also became a political and social statement, and

changed the meaning of public housing. However, by the 1980s, Park Hill gained a reputation as one of Britain's most notorious "sink estates".

It had high levels of crime, anti-social behaviour and poverty. The poorly lit streets made residents feel unsafe living there. It started to gain

graffiti, and its windows became smashed.

http://streetsinthesky.weebly.com/history.html

A few things were taken into consideration for the construction of Park Hill. A special report was submitted to a meeting at the Council’s

Housing Committee in March 1955 which was when the area was considered to be suitable for high density multi-storey dwellings. Due to it

being near the city centre, and close to the heavy industrial area of the Don Valley, meant that there were permanent open spaces nearby that

were easily accessible. There were three phases in the construction of this building. Phase one was granted planning permission within the 1st

six months of 1956. 990 flats in four blocks that range between 4 and 13 floors was built in phase one. These were overlooking the railway

station on Anson Street, Talbot Street, Duke Street and South Street. The topography of the site meant that the high flats could allow for light,

air and great views. The ground was proven to take the heavy loads of the build from the geological survey. The topography of the site was

emphasised by the buildings horizontal roof line, with a massive difference of floor levels between each end of the building. The Talbot Street

end has only four storeys, and the Anson Street end has 13 storeys. There were two stages within phase two. Two three-storey terraces were

built in phase two. The terraces totalled 152 dwellings. Beyond these, toward the north, four blocks between 5 and 19 storeys were built,

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

2

totalling in 1160 dwellings. The terraced sections were named as Hyde Park Walk and Hyde Park Terrace, after the City Council agreed for

phase two of Park Hill would be called Hyde Park Estate, in May 1961. There are open spaces between the different blocks that get larger as

the height of the building increases toward the north. This is to allow the maximum amount of air, light and sun to the building.

The existing shopping street was re planned, and to later be named ‘The Pavement’. There was to be nurseries, school, laundries, police

station and 4 pubs that are replacing the eight that already existed. Other shops incorporated were a butcher, a baker, pharmacy, a newsagent

and a fish and chip shop. There was also a doctor and dental surgery. The primary school in the area was to be modernised and made bigger.

The existing road patterns would also be changed, making the area mainly for pedestrians only. Between the buildings would be park space

with footpaths, and small play areas.

The image below shows the remains of the integrated pub- Scottish Queen. Located on the South Street face (SW wing of the North Block).

There would be ten foot wide street decks, incorporated into the blocks of flats. The width of the decks was a key feature of the design. Giving

it the name ‘Streets in the Sky’. They would be on every third floor and open, rather than in an enclosed space. Although covered from the

weather. This was to create the feeling of ‘streets’ within the building, giving it the name ‘Streets in the Sky’. This aimed to recreate the spirit

of community in traditional streets that are within a high rise development.

"These decks are more than glorified access balconies, functionally and socially they are streets without the menace of through vehicular

traffic ". a quote from architectural historian, Reyner Banham, when giving a review of the building after it opened in 1961.

The wide decks were wide enough to allow prams and milk trolleys through. There is direct access to the decks for the milk floats and other

services through the 13 lifts and 2 large goods lifts. It made for a social place for adults to converse and for young children to play. The

widened decks also meant that the flats could be designed so that the internal layout avoided having any rooms that overlooked the decks.

This ensured complete privacy as well as good lighting within the rooms (Architects Journal 1961). The shallow width of the blocks allowed for

light into the flat, and views out from two directions.

Image courtesy of the Architectural Press Archive/RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image courtesy of the Architectural Press Archive/RIBA Library Photographs Collection

Park Hill was constructed of a reinforced concrete frame, which is exposed. There is red, yellow, and orange curtain walling, although it is quite

difficult to tell, due to weathering and soot from the trains that pass. The image below shows the best view for this description, as it is the only

side of the building that isn’t black from the exhaust fumes from the trains etc. The picture also shows the tallest end of the flats in the North

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

3

block. The whole courtyard is secured from trespassers. The Perspex windows and metal grills you can see are there to prevent people from

climbing into the building, and all entrances to this wing, which is unoccupied, have been blocked with steel doors. The primary school was

once within this courtyard.

The balcony fronts were also concrete. The main unit of the design and construction of the building is the 3 bay units with central staircases

that are set in pairs, in a H shaped frame.

The image above is of the same part of the building. The chimney at the far end is the Park Hill Flats' heating system. The rubble area is where

the primary school once was, before being demolished. There is a smaller building on the far right, which used to be the Social Centre for Park

Hill.

There are bridges linking across the upper decks, between the angles of 112 and 135 degrees, to maximise the views out.

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

4

The elevations of the building are exposed grids of concrete frame, with some board mark. The balconies and decks have vertical balustrading,

similar to slender steel balustrading to bedrooms. The windows are constructed of timber with aluminium opening sections, which open

horizontally. There are flush timber doors.

The flats had indoor baths and central heating, which was considered modern for its time. For council estates in this era it was unheard of,

meaning that only the well behaved would be allowed to live here (Howe 2009). The kitchens and bathrooms of the individual flats are stacked

in pairs to facilitate servicing.

The shops in the pavement area retain much of the original varnished timber shutters and the glazed shop fronts, with timber surrounds.

Many of the shop fronts have a timber panelled dado, which survive behind security shutters.

The linked two storey block has an open stairwell and columns that are clad in gold mosaic.

http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1246881

The regeneration of Park Hill

Park Hill renovation by Hawkins\Brown and Studio Egret West. Photograph by Daniel Hopkinson

Images showing the before and after images of Park Hill

Above image shows Pak Hill stripped back to its concrete shell.

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

5

Urban Splash is a property developer, who had built a reputation in the 1990s. Urban Splash collaborated with Sheffield City Council, English

Heritage, Great Places Housing Group, and the Homes and Communities Agency, along with two architectural companies (Hawkins/Brown and

Studio Egret West) to work on transforming this site into something much more desirable. Landscape architects Grant Associates also got

involved.

The building was stripped right back to its concrete shell. The flats and surrounding area were then re designed.

The re-developed flats have been made bigger, by removing a metre from the walk ways and incorporating the space into the flats instead.

They still offer a generous amount of space, although milk floats may have a struggle to move along them now. Brickwork within the elevation

of the building has been replaced with anodized aluminium panels, in bold colours. Its radiant and reflective material provides a greater

contrast throughout the build, than the original brickwork. The concrete balustrades were replaced with a design cast, which provided it with

the higher quality finish. The previous bedroom spaces that were quite dark have been provided with more daylight, by the North and East

facing elevations being opened up. More glazing has been added to give a 2/3 ratio glazing and a 1/3 ratio solid. New landing and hallway

windows have been added to the apartments, to look onto the street, as a means of improving the passive surveillance of the ‘streets in the

sky’. They incorporated an external stainless steel helical stair with a mirrored finish, and an external lift core that has been glazed, on the west

façade of the northwest block. It marks the new entrance, and provides panoramic views across Sheffield.

The windows in the flats have doubled in size, and new wooden flooring was put in, as you can see from the below images.

Patterned floor tiles and stained plywood details were added to the entrances to each flat, to give a more domestic appearance. This was to

give the residents a sense of ownership.

The new apartments have walls that are stripped to expose the concrete, which was never intended to be seen (the original flats were

plastered). It’s almost like a reminder of the history of the building.

The entrance to park hill has been improved. A large central cut through the full height of the building. There was new glass lifts put in to break

up the sense of solidity, and to balance the concrete by adding lightness to the building.

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

6

Graffiti that says ‘I love you will U marry me?’ on one of the bridges has been preserved. It is lit in neon for everyone to see. Then architect saw

it as salvageable, like Park Hill itself. It acted as a glimmer of hope that was improved and preserved.

There are new high street shops, bars, pubs and restaurants, providing the essential ingredients of a proper community.

Phase 1 master plan

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

7

Site Plan

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

8

Above images from http://www.urbansplash.co.uk/documents/PARK_BuildingConservation.pdf

Conclusion

The Urban Splash regeneration of Park Hill has reinvented the site to something that modern buyers will want. The restoration of old materials

and the addition of new materials make a fine example of building conservation. I feel that the building works better today than it did when it

was first built. There is maybe less of a sense of community since removing space from the decks, however, the commercial area will hopefully

add to the sense of community, and will create a safer environment for the residents. Before the building was renovated, the apartments ran

right down to the ground floors, which caused problems with security and privacy. The response from the local community, on the

regeneration of Park Hill, has been fantastic. The first open day brought in over 1100 people, and the total sales over a period of two weeks

was over £1m. There has been very positive and encouraging feedback from the residents and the media. The conservation efforts have been

praised nationally by The One Show (BBC), The Observer, The Guardian and The Times.

Rhiannon Flitcroft, ATY2, 13433898

9

Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24054185

http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1246881

http://www.archdaily.com/174968/park-hill-hawkins-brown-with-studio-egret-west/

http://www.thewookie.co.uk/skyscrapers/index2.html

https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/the-park-hill-estate-sheffield-streets-in-the-sky/

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=IgkmyIan4j8C&pg=PA208&dq=construction+of+park+hill+estate&hl=en&sa=X&ei=meH6VO6CCMzD7gbtv4Bg&ved=0

CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=construction%20of%20park%20hill%20estate&f=false

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/07/22/park-hill-phase-1-by-hawkinsbrown-and-studio-egret-west/

http://streetsinthesky.weebly.com/regeneration.html

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/regeneration/your-neighbourhood/park-hill.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zg3mhyc

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/09/10/brutalist-buildings-park-hill-jack-lynn-ivor-smith/

http://www.urbansplash.co.uk/documents/PARK_BuildingConservation.pdf

‘Sheffield Replanned’, 1945, quoted in The Open University, Park Hill, Sheffield: continuity and change.

JL Womersley, City Architect, 1955, quoted in The Open University, Park Hill, Sheffield: continuity and change.

Alison Ravetz, Council Housing and Culture. The History of a Social Experiment (2001)

Quoted in The Open University, Park Hill, Sheffield: continuity and change.

Quoted in Rachel Cooke, ‘How I learnt to love the streets in the sky‘, The Observer, 23 November 2008.

Quoted in BBC South Yorkshire, Park Hill, 2007, as are most of the following quotes from tenants.

Quoted in Rowan Moore, ‘Park Hill estate, Sheffield – review‘, The Observer, 21 August 2011.

Sheffield City Council, Park Hill, 2003.

Quoted in The Open University, Park Hill, Sheffield: continuity and change.

Owen Hatherley provides a very critical perspective on Park Hill’s renovation in ‘Regeneration?: what’s happening in Park Hill is class cleansing‘, The

Guardian, 28 September 2011.

Edward Platt, ‘Multi-million-pound make-over for Sheffield’s notorious Park Hill Estate‘, The Daily Telegraph, 21 September 2012, is more positive.