With old buildings it is not often that you’re able to get feedback from the original designer but last week I had the great privilege of not only meeting Ivor Smith the original architect for Park Hill but also of showing him and his daughter (and grandson) around Park Hill as it is now - 50 years on.
Seeing the building today it is easy to forget how visionary it was when it was first conceived and how transformational it was for the communities that it re-housed. Ivor recollected the squalid conditions that the building replaced – the decrepit victorian courtyard houses that were unbearably overcrowded (reputedly housing an incredible 1,000 people per hectare) with nothing but communal latrines and standpipes by way of sanitation and absolutely no open space to speak of.
Understandably then Park Hill transformed lives and was an incredibly popular place to live but sadly by the 1980’s these feelings had started to change, the building had become dilapidated and stigmatised and had begun an inexorable spiral of physical and social decline. When we got involved we had to not only understand the strengths of the building but also what was causing it to fail.
We have just finished our phase I enveloping works which includes a new parkland setting for the building leading to a dramatic new entrance that has glass lifts and a sculptural spiral stair cut through the original gridded structure with 4 show flats on the top floor overlooking the city. Our approach has been to try and reinvent in the modernist spirit of the original so I was keen to hear whether Ivor thought we had succeeded – here’s what he had to say ……..
“The care you have taken to repair a derelict structure is impressive. The concrete frame looks well with the new balustrades, and the timber top rail is better to touch. Although the coloured panels at first seem a bit bright, I can understand that it is important to express something new, and it is good that they continue to indicate the different deck levels.
The new entrance is a splendid monumental space. Some shops will add life, and the glazed two-storey offices and studios give an effective base to the building. The journey up the glass lifts is a delight, and the shiny spiral stair set within the frame is very clever. At night especially, these will provide a great view from the city and a welcome to the entrance. The arrival at deck level is similarly spacious. The access still has the qualities of the deck, and the encroachment onto it not only gives useful space within the dwellings but also provides a significant threshold to each group of four. The plan of the different units is now very spacious with views right through and light coming from both sides. My reservations about vertigo are overcome by the depth of structure that keeps you back a little from the edge. As I mentioned I do have some concerns about overheating and adequate ventilation, but I hope I will be proved wrong. The change to the elevations when the window panels are open is a witty device! The choice of materials, the quality of detail and workmanship shows great care; this is apparent in the entrance doors, the stairs, the windows, and the design of the kitchens and bathrooms. It is refreshing at this time that the whole design is free from gimmicks, and there is a consistency and inevitability to each part.
I think this scheme gives real meaning to the word “regeneration”; it represents a new beginning, a new vitality. I sense in those who have been involved the same enthusiasm and excitement that Jack Lynn and I enjoyed half a century ago. It will be a great place to live!” Ivor Smith
Before meeting Ivor I really had no idea what his take would be but I know that in his time he approached the project with all the passion and energy that we feel now so it is very satisfying to hear this endorsement and I know that his approval is much appreciated by the whole project team.
Filed under: Park Hill, Sheffield, Urban Splash 2 Comments
You have made a fantastic job. PH is ow going to remain a Sheffield landmark, and now one to be totally proud of, one to show off to the world. I would love to meet Ivor Smith to understand more about PH but I will say Urban Splash, you have done that man proud!
I have to second what Saz says! I loved this place before, when I used to visit Sheffield in my late teens. The restoration is fantastic and sympathetic whilst still moving with the times. I must say I’d also love to meet Ivor Smith, he created a liveable, working piece of art. I believe this building has retained it’s soul and will thrive as people once again fill it and become it’s heart.