With constant building/redeveloping work being done on Sheffield, when one area is finished its time to bring another up to scratch so will Sheffield ever be finished or is it just that everywhere needs contant work, does a city ever stop redeveloping?!?!

It will never stop. Its like the roads for example - once they've all been resurfaced, you have to start again as the first road will be worn out again.

Sheffield, like anywhere else, will see continuous change. Maybe not at quite the current rate though :D

Yes but most towns change for the better pity sheffield doesn't. 8)

Originally posted by Bikertec
Yes but most towns change for the better pity sheffield doesn't. 8)

Yeah them Peace Gardens are ugly as aint they... :suspect:

Originally posted by dinp
It will never stop. Its like the roads for example - once they've all been resurfaced, you have to start again as the first road will be worn out again.

Sheffield, like anywhere else, will see continuous change. Maybe not at quite the current rate though :D

It's not that the roads are worn out - we all know Sheffield can't be bothered much with road repairs. Sheffield will keep producing road schemes (either minor adjustments or major redesigns) to keep busy all the highway staff we inherited from South Yorkshire C C when it was disbanded.

Is this thread for real?

Or is it a joke?

Originally posted by dinp
Yeah them Peace Gardens are ugly as aint they... :suspect:

The peace gardens and the winter gardens are nice at the moment. They're going to look absolutely horrid once the new buildings have been finished.

Moaning minnies, the lot of you!

Consider this: "When things stop developing, they die." Discuss.

Agreed. Development is progress - would you rather we had never invented buildings and still lived in caves?! :P

Ii could be argued that having an area in a constant state of 'building site' isn't really development, it's regression though...

No it will never be finished- thats the whole point in developing- to move on!

I think some of you are being particularly pessimistic. As has always happened, there will be some good and well loved buildings, and some bad new buildings. Eventually the bad buildings will be swept away in the future, and the good ones will remain. As most of the city centre is less than 60 years old (thanks luftwaffe) we have much fewer nice historical buildings than many other cities. However I would like to point out some good modern buildings/spaces.

Crucible theatre, Arts tower, Wintergardens, Office block on charter row, Salvation army hostel, Orchard square, central library, ponds forge, Adsetts building, peace gardens

Particularly ugly buildings.
novotel, roxy, McDonalds building on moor, west bar police station

Ok so maybe it will never stop developing, but surely its not just me that finds it annoying that everywhere constantly has building work going on

Originally posted by questions
Ok so maybe it will never stop developing, but surely its not just me that finds it annoying that everywhere constantly has building work going on

Well we couldnt leave it like it was surely.....

Originally posted by muddycoffee
I think some of you are being particularly pessimistic. As has always happened, there will be some good and well loved buildings, and some bad new buildings. Eventually the bad buildings will be swept away in the future, and the good ones will remain. As most of the city centre is less than 60 years old (thanks luftwaffe) we have much fewer nice historical buildings than many other cities. However I would like to point out some good modern buildings/spaces.

Crucible theatre, Arts tower, Wintergardens, Office block on charter row, Salvation army hostel, Orchard square, central library, ponds forge, Adsetts building, peace gardens

Particularly ugly buildings.
novotel, roxy, McDonalds building on moor, west bar police station

Well said! The 'old' buildings are only there because they were the ones that were liked so have stayed. Similarly, some of the 'new' buildings we have now will be gone in 20 years.

The thing is, we can't stay the same, things HAVE to change, and they are changing at the same rate as every other city really. When you are looking at things on such a massive scale, you can't expect it all to be finshed in a few months. Some of the schemes in the pipeline will take years to implement, and have been specifically designed that way.

One thing I don't agree with though is the Arts Tower. It's a nightmare - overfull, too few lifts, old and tatty, and I'm sure it was supposed to be demolished about 10 years ago... Apart from that, good views, so not all bad!

Oooooooooh now, don't start planting ideas about ditching the Arts Tower, then where would we be.

The paternoster lifts are ace for a start and the building functions as a rich source of folklore for Sheff Uni students: Who went over the top, who did it and died etc.......

The Arts Tower rules! Besides, with the Governments continual reduction in uni budgets combined with its determination to squeeze as many students into universities as possible, where would Sheffield Uni get the dosh to replace such a monster?

Things don't HAVE to change in the way that Sheffield Council does it.
The centres of Lincoln or York don't keep changing and even in dynamic cities like London,certain areas are kept as they are---at the very least on the outside.
What people in Sheffield complain about is the rate of change---nothing is allowed to settle down for long-----and the pointlessness of a lot of the changes.
It's not only the buildings that keep changing.
Pre--Thatcher we had had a fantastic bus policy---the best,probably in Britain.I know the Council were under pressure to "free-up" the system but Sheffield had always been so solidly Labour that I'm sure they could have put up more resistance to de-regulation of the buses---at least Liverpool DID try to resist the worst aspects of Thatcherite change.
Now, the bus service seems to be a shambles and a good transport system WHERE EVRYBODY KNOWS HOW TO GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO ,for more than 3 weeks at a time, is essential to the life of a city.
Change is very important but it has to be positive change and the Powers-that -Be really have to think things through----not look for quick headlines.

I almost printed a T-Shirt years ago with the slogan 'This is Sheffield - Dig it' on the front and 'Up' on the back :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

Originally posted by Sheffette
Oooooooooh now, don't start planting ideas about ditching the Arts Tower, then where would we be.

The paternoster lifts are ace for a start and the building functions as a rich source of folklore for Sheff Uni students: Who went over the top, who did it and died etc.......

The Arts Tower rules! Besides, with the Governments continual reduction in uni budgets combined with its determination to squeeze as many students into universities as possible, where would Sheffield Uni get the dosh to replace such a monster?

I know, you are right, the arts tower is part of Sheffield! Have a strange kind of affection for it really, deep down!

Besides, it is a Grade II listed building, so we are stuck with it!

You love it, but you say "we're stuck with it"!!

Its is grade II listed, a premium example io the international style of architecture in this country. Its similar in style to a building in new york called the Seagram building, think its in NY anyway.

I love it.

i werent aware it had started yet!!

they'll get there in the end

Originally posted by AndrewC
You love it, but you say "we're stuck with it"!!

Its is grade II listed, a premium example io the international style of architecture in this country. Its similar in style to a building in new york called the Seagram building, think its in NY anyway.

I love it.

Yes, it is based on the seagram building, and I like it to look at but I used to go in there every day, to the top. It is too full, the lifts are always breaking, its badly serviced so is always too hot or too cold, the windows are draughty, when it rains water poors into the lower ground floor cafe, it's height is unsuitable for where it is and creates wind tunnels.
Where Mies Van der Rohe's Seagram building is finished to a very high quality, with marble and stone and bronze, the Arts Tower is dirty, lacks toilet facilities, and is a nightmare to get around. (ok, so it has a bit of marble on the first couple of floors...)
And have you ever tried to get out in fire alarm?!
So yes, I have affection for it because I used to spend a lot of time there and I agree it is a good example of a building of its time, but I don't think it is good for it's use and site, which is why I said we are stuck with it.

Lexicographers are fond of saying, "the only time a language ceases changing it is dead"

I think the same could be said about cities.

I think it's really sad that people are slagging off the change in Sheffield. Perhaps we should have kept the Egg Box? And the grotty underpasses that weren't safe to walk under after about 7 in the evening?

Sheffield is being dragged by it's arse into the 21st century. The Peace Gardens and the Winter Gardens are fab. When they finally pull down that monstrosity that is Dyson House, and re develop the area by the Station it'll look great.

Sheffield has had a reputation for many years as a dead town. With all the regeneration thats going on, it will attract more business to the city especially with the oodles of trendy apartments they're throwing up, we can boost our tourist trade by giving them other attractions than disused industrial buildings and Meadowhall to look at. It also means that when visitors arrive to our fair city, to go to events at Ponds Forge and the like, the first thing they're not greeted by is a couple of run down office buildings and castle markets.

We have to change and move on, or continue to be left behind as business goes elsewhere to Manchester and Leeds. The days of Sheffield being an industrial giant are over. Deal with it.

Thats right miss, its very important that sheffield reaslises it has to push itself forward into the commercial sector and out of the industrial sector.

*Plug* You can find out about Sheffields Developments at SkyscraperCity-UK ( http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29) in the Projects and Construction Forum.

Come one come all.

Miss may i ask what subject of course you're doing, you seem to have a vague understanding of urban development!

Has anybody on here seen Go Sheffo. It's a fanzine about Sheffield and it's buildings. One of the funnyist things I've read this year.

Originally posted by AndrewC

Miss may i ask what subject of course you're doing, you seem to have a vague understanding of urban development!

Um... none. I got my degree in maths a few years ago now.

It must just be my great intelligence. ;.)

where can i get hold of 'Go Sheffo' (the name is exciting enough :|)

@Miss

well, us great mathmatichans can do anything except spell mathmatichan.

mathematician. I'm there.

I was three marks off an A* at GCSE, my finest hour in education so far.

I got mine from The Grapes on Trippet Lane.
Contact Tom Common who puts it all together. I think they only do about 100 copies but it is well worth getting hold of.
go_sheffield@hotmail.com

With constant building/redeveloping work being done on Sheffield, when one area is finished its time to bring another up to scratch so will Sheffield ever be finished or is it just that everywhere needs contant work, does a city ever stop redeveloping?!?!


Well, the good news is that at long last Sheffield is almost finished. Just a few more weeks now before the builders and construction workers can take a well earned retirement and declare that their work here is done!