Hi,

I've been looking for photos of the arts tower when it first opened. I have heard about the fountains at the front which were removed due to soaking everyone who walked inside the building.

I've searched picture sheffield and google with no success.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

This sounds rediculous and might not be true, but I heard they had to remove the pond at the front of the arts tower because of the terrible winds created by the building itself, not only soaking people but chucking the fish out of it too!!

Sorry don't have any pics, I wouldn't mind seeing some with the water feature tho!

Hi,

I've been looking for photos of the arts tower when it first opened. I have heard about the fountains at the front which were removed due to soaking everyone who walked inside the building.

I've searched picture sheffield and google with no success.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

The Sheffield forum at Skyscraper.com might be a good place to ask...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=647

But you'll have to sign up to post.

Sorry no pictures, but do you remember the Paternoster lift? I went to the top floor on it once - some experience as there were no doors on it, just openings and you hopped on or off at the appropriate times. Couldn't possibly be there now in these 'nanny state' times.

It was still there a while back (the paternoster) - great fun going 'over the top' or under the bottom! Big signs saying get off now, but you could stay on, get shoved along a bit in the dark and then back down/up the other side.

re. the Arts Tower, I'd contact Helen Mathers who is the university's official historian. I'm sure she would be able to find something.

Paternoster even gets a mention on wikipedia, for anybody who isn't sure what we're talking about.

There are pictures of the Sheffield Paternoster on http://www.xes.cx/MT/archives/2003/12/ but it's a blog you'll have to scroll down.

yup, the paternoster is certainly still there..

sadly can't get the chariot on it :( , so can't use it these days, but whoo-boy was it fun in my able-bodied days!

Many thanks re. paternoster:- maybe we're not so 'nanny' as we thought!

I remember the paternoster too, when lectures changed I sometimes missed my exit as if I wasnt the first one to leap out I would lose my confidence and not think I had time! It was more useful than the lifts though when large volumes of students had to move at the same time.

Im sorry I missed the fountains, but I experienced the winds. It was always windy when I went there. I miss the library though, the cheery little chappy (or ladies in the daytime) who used to look after my bag while I went in always exchanged a few words as I was a mature student.

I also knew Helen Mather, she was my tutor briefly, but I didnt study history for any length of time.

Way back in the stone age when I was a student in the Arts Tower there was indeed a water feature with a small bridge up a short flight of steps leading to the entrance hall. I don't recall any fountains as such although there were water jets which I think came from the bridge. I can certainly vouch for the impact of the wind as many a student was drenched entering the Tower.
As a matter of interest when was the water feature removed? I had no idea it had gone.
The Paternoster was the great feature of the day and was much quicker than the conventional lifts. In all my time I never recall anyone exceeding the limit of to people per compartment. The stairs seemed to be rarely used except when there were races from the Lower Ground Floor to the very top.