3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being

ing Regenerated into a Colorful and B…

­ Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building ­ http://inhabitat.com
­

Massive Park Hill Post­War Project Being Regenerated into a
Colorful and Bright Housing Complex
Posted By Bridgette Meinhold On October 14, 2011 @ 9:15 am In Architecture,carousel
showcase,gallery,Green renovation,Sustainable Building | 1 Comment

[1]   [2]
 

Instead of tearing down Sheffield's massive and slum­like Park Hill housing project [3] , developer
Urban Splash [4] , architects Hawkins/Brown [5]  and Studio Egret [6]  began renovating and
regenerating it into a bright and cheerful new complex. Originally completed in 1961, the 32­acre
estate project had 995 apartments and was hailed as a great post­war slum clearing development,
but it was not as revolutionary as expected and fell into decline. Renovations, which began on the
multi­block complex in 2008, will open up the apartments up for greater access to daylight and
convert the ground floors to commercial and office space in an attempt to enliven the
development.
  [2]

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 1/6
3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being Regenerated into a Colorful and B…

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 2/6
3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being Regenerated into a Colorful and B…

Plans for Park Hill began in the 1940s when Sheffield was desperately in need of housing after the
war, but construction did not commence until 1957 and was not completed until 1961. The
project, which was designed by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith, was praised for its modern building
techniques, great space standards, an integrated district heating system, and its famous ʻstreets in
the sky,ʼ which aimed to recreate the community spirit of traditional streets within a high rise
development. The brutalist [7]  work was at first very popular, but over time people moved on and
out and the development became dilapidated and run down.

Still, the project had good bones and in 1998, it became a listed building [8]  making it the largest
listed structure in Europe and prime for redevelopment. Urban Splash took on the daunting task of
transforming the modernist structure into one that would meet the sensibilities and ideals of the
21st century. The original project though was intelligently and efficiently designed featuring
natural ventilation, a district heating system, a private balcony for each flat, south or west facing
living spaces to take advantage of the sun and of course the innovative ‘streets in the sky’.

Currently only a portion of the renovation has been completed on the massive project and it is not
expected to be complete until 2012 or 2013. Upgrades to the North Block building include
replacing the brick work with colorful anodized aluminum panels, upgrading and refinishing some of
the concrete, and adding more windows to both the north facades and to the ‘streets’ to increase
daylighting. The bottom floors have been converted from flats into commercial and office space
with the intent to invigorate the space and draw more people to the project, which is located
directly to the east of the city center on a prominent hill. While some Sheffield residents admire

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 3/6
3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being Regenerated into a Colorful and B…
the project for its architecture and original scheme, others think of it as an eyesore – hopefully,
the regeneration will change their minds. Show flats are now available to the public for viewing and
apartment sales began in October, but residents will not be able to move in until September of
2012.

+ Park Hill [4]

+ Hawkins/Brown [5]

+ Studio Egret  [6]

Via ArchDaily [9]

Images ©Keith Collie, Daniel Hopkinson, Peter Bennet and Hawkins/Brown

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 4/6
3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being Regenerated into a Colorful and B…

Article printed from Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building:
http://inhabitat.com

URL to article: http://inhabitat.com/massive­park­hill­post­war­slum­being­regenerated­
into­a­colorful­and­bright­housing­complex/

URLs in this post:

[1]
: http://inhabitat.com/massive­park­hill­post­war­slum­being­regenerated­into­a­
  colorful­and­bright­housing­complex/park­hill­hawkins­brown­10/?extend=1

[2]  : http://inhabitat.com/massive­park­hill­post­war­slum­being­regenerated­into­a­
colorful­and­bright­housing­complex/park­hill­hawkins­brown­4/?extend=1
[3] Park Hill housing project: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill,_Sheffield
[4] Urban Splash: http://www.urbansplash.co.uk/residential/park­hill

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 5/6
3/22/2014 Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building » Massive Park Hill Post-War Project Being Regenerated into a Colorful and B…
[5] Hawkins/Brown: http://www.hawkinsbrown.co.uk/portfolio/project.php?
categoryId=7&projectId=7#
[6] Studio Egret: http://www.egretwest.com/
[7] brutalist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist
[8] listed building: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listed_building
[9] ArchDaily: http://www.archdaily.com/174968/park­hill­hawkins­brown­with­studio­
egret­west

Copyright © 2011 Inhabitat Local ­ New York. All rights reserved.

http://inhabitat.com/massive-park-hill-post-war-slum-being-regenerated-into-a-colorful-and-bright-housing-complex/print/ 6/6