What exactly IS that large, ugly, grey building at the end of Charter Row and what is it called?

I want to nominate it for demolition on Look North's feature this week.

Cheers

i think the one you mean is the DfEE (department for employment and education)

:)

HTH

It's the main electricity station for the City Centre were lots of big volts get converted to smaller volts and sent out to all us City Centre workers. It would go very dark if it were demolished.

I hope this is the same building as i'm talking about. I've heard that the building is an ununsed multistory carpark and according to the star it is going to be demolished in order to build a 19 storey apartment/office/shopping complex. I hope it is we need a few tall buildings in Sheffield to compete with Leeds and Manchester.

No matey thats the Grosvenor House Hotel you mean there!
Good job an' all!

1Man&HisBMW

right - that building at the very end of Charter Row, by Safeway's Roundabout - is as has been rightly said, a substation for the national grid. i agree, it would be nice to demolish it as it does not look very clever. But where do you propose that it becomes relocated. That whole area needs a revamp - take away the industrial buildings, demolish the council-owned housing as that area has become rough as guts!!! If the area is redesigned as a cultural zone with a museum, cafe bars, shops and pubs (like Devonshire Cat) it will become a safer and more progressive zone to add to the Big Devonshire Green complex, and the green itself. But currently it is crime-ridden and serves only as a no-go zone when the sun goes down!!!
As for Atkinsons Car Park - i think it would look nice if that were demolished and replaced with the proposed residential/office block - however i would prefer to see a building that fits in with what Sheffield is trying to do itself - the real 'city centre' building like the one on Charter Row (the glass one) needs to furthered to give Sheffield a more commercial shape.
I am looking forward to see how Sheffield changes over the next few years - but if it is to stand a chance, its residents should embrace a need to have to rid itself of 'age old' areas like The Moor in favour of large chain/flagship stores.

Back the council in what they are trying to do, as they realise that it is not in their interest to do a half-job to encourage future investment!!!

Right, many thanks for the replies. So we are agreed that it is an electricity sub-station and I think we also agree that it is a huge monstrosity of a building which I persoanlly think blights the whole area.

So some more questions.

Obviously this is a vital bit of kit for keeping the power flowing in the city centre so why don't other city centre's have them? Or maybe they do and I just haven't noticed.

If we can't knock it down what do you suggest to make it look better? I few years ago it was give the old magnolia treatment which was a bit of an improvement of the natural bare concrete look.

I suggest a sort of 'hanging gardens of Babylon' look, cover the whole thing with plants a bit like they did with the Bradford and Bingley headquarters in Bingley.

Cheers

Originally posted by Vanbast
Right, many thanks for the replies. So we are agreed that it is an electricity sub-station and I think we also agree that it is a huge monstrosity of a building which I persoanlly think blights the whole area.

So some more questions.

Obviously this is a vital bit of kit for keeping the power flowing in the city centre so why don't other city centre's have them? Or maybe they do and I just haven't noticed.

If we can't knock it down what do you suggest to make it look better? I few years ago it was give the old magnolia treatment which was a bit of an improvement of the natural bare concrete look.

I suggest a sort of 'hanging gardens of Babylon' look, cover the whole thing with plants a bit like they did with the Bradford and Bingley headquarters in Bingley.

Cheers

I always assumed it was some sort of secret Government Ninja Training School as there were no windows. I was very dissapointed to find out that it was just used to shift electricity around.

There was an article in the Sheffield Telegraph a couple of years ago asking what to do with it, given that it can't really be knocked down. I reckon we should celebrate it's rubbishness somehow. A monument to crap design.
With plants falling from it, some subtle lighting, maybe occasional steel cladding, it could look alright.

Do we know that its only a boring sub-station type thing for sure?? I feel kinda disappointed if it is.. I always kinda had the idea that it was home to the local branch of the Men In Black! :o

just wack some stainless steel on it :/

it seems to be the idea around the rest of this city

Okay I've lived in and around Sheffield for twenty years and curiosity has finally got the better of me.

What is the Big, Grey, Monolithic Building diagonally opposite the Safeways at the bottom of Ecclesall Road?

Electric Power Plant.

As you are new, i forgive you by the fact that you haven't read previous posts relating to this building.

The building is a substation housing transformers, to step up electricity being supplied to the central area of Sheffield. It belongs/belonged to Yorkshire Electricty but since they no longer exist, it is probably owned by Npower.

Personally, if i had the money and the inclination i would try to hide these transformers in a clock tower'esque design structure within the roundabout. This would not only create a landmark feature within Sheffield that looks good and can be seen on a daily basis by 100's of 1000's- but it also allows the former ugly site to be turned into asthetic offices/apartments. The REAL 'gateway to the city'!
Furthermore - it paves the way for some designer to create a well designed and well lit 'skypass' for locals and students alike to pass through that area in safety without fear of getting mugged!!! JUST MY OPINION THOUGH!!

I am no good at research but i am sure that some kind soul will be happy to apply links to previous threads relating to this building.

Originally posted by chalicefc3
I am no good at research but i am sure that some kind soul will be happy to apply links to previous threads relating to this building.

Here's one http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2962

Nomme

Wow - admonishment, moderation and answers and all within an hour...

.... thanks everyone.

I did try and find a previous thread but, as evidenced, I failed.
Again, thanks.

Anyone know what the huge grey concrete building with no windows is? It's kind of near the safeway roundabout and the end of the moore.

Electricity sub station
It's been on the forum before as the ugliest building in Sheffield thread. A quick search should find it.

Mod: various threads merged

Originally posted by 367squadron
I hope this is the same building as i'm talking about. I've heard that the building is an ununsed multistory carpark and according to the star it is going to be demolished in order to build a 19 storey apartment/office/shopping complex. I hope it is we need a few tall buildings in Sheffield to compete with Leeds and Manchester.

There are plans to build tall residential structures either side of this grey concrete crap-piece, on the site of the old Mercedes garage and in front of the Learn Direct building, where the Cala Homes sign is.

But the box is staying :D

I've heard that big, ugly building is an old BT main switching/exchange centre, where calls for Sheffield and the north used to go through. I've also heard it's listed so can't be knocked down! :-o

No windows as it's built to be bombproof, and it's deep- apparently it goes down quite a few floors. Used to be jam-packed with old telephone kit, but now only one or two floors used.

Wouldn't mind having a look round if anyone's watching... Don't think I've got much chance though, everything still seems to be a bit hush-hush around there...

as this building and its function seem to be one of sheffields long kept secrets, everyone knows its there but noone seems to know anything about it?
could it be some sort of 'air raid' shelter for sheffields vip's and their famlys if britian ever came to war.

possable reasons,

1.
No windows as it's built to be bombproof, and it's deep- apparently it goes down quite a few floors.

2.
it looks rubbish!!!
if i was in a plane dropping bombs on buildings, i would target known buildings and official looking buildings, like town hall, and police depo's ect. not some big ugly concrete block, that would just be waisting misiles :rolleyes:

3
So we are agreed that it is an electricity sub-station and I think we also agree that it is a huge monstrosity of a building
if the power in sheffield were to be knocked out by bombing, very likely, where better to be than a 'electricity sub-station'.

4
also did someone mention that some floors are packed with some sort of telecom cables, this would also be usefull in said situation, so they could keep intouch with all the other vip's up and down the country, sat in simular shelters themselfs.

5
as there is no windows this would be very usefull in a blackout situation, and no glass to shatter from 'near miss' bombs.

i may just be reading too deep into this but it all dose look kinda suspitious

PS:
i cannot for the life of me picture this building, my head hurts thinking where it is n what it looks like. Dohh!
and iv lived in sheff all my life :confused:

Errr.. well I think you are being a little fanciful ;). It's definately a sub-station, or I think a step-down transformer to be more accurate.

As for being a nuclear shelter, well there are few windows as you say, but the place has huge multi-story holes vor ventilation, so it wouldn't be much kop in a thermonuclear war. Climbing under the kitchen table would be as effective. :D

i just watched 'Threds' , yesterday and this post kinda got me thinking,,,like i say i canni even think what building it is.


.Nu Skillz, Your this paranoid at 7 in the morning. You must have been smoking weed all night long.


hahaha, im not para, but i have been on the bud,
nice work Sherlock :D

Hehe, you're in a sort of post-apocolyptic munchie mood eh? :D

Anyone who watched The Invaders with Roy Thinnes will know exactly what it is. Look out for people who cannot straighten their little fingers.

Plus have you noticed how vague people are about its appearance? You can look at it all day and not be able to describe it 10 minutes later. This is to do with the regeneration rays which have been perfected since David Vincent's days. The rays not only rebuild the body but also cause temporary amnesia to humans within a 100m radius. QM

I think half the reason its so ugly is because of the huge support buttresses in it. If you look at it, it looks like its built to withstand some abuse, which I expect is because the electricity equipment inside it is bloody heavy. It must be designed to take some weight.

Does anybody know (roughly opp Wickes, just next to the roundabout)? It has no windows and is grey concrete. Is it some kind of energy production?
Just curious
cheers
Julie

I think it is the BT telephone exchenge building. I agree it is hideous and needs to be demolished.:rant:

This one: http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2962

Edit - looks like threads got merged. Confused me for a minute.

Given that this is Sheffield it wont be long before some bright spark in the council decides that it is a fine axample of 60's architecture and make it a listed building anyhoo.

that lump of sub station won an international first prize as a showcase for the use of concrete strage but true!

if it wasnt for the 'thread merge bit done by admin' i would think this thread was purely made for thick people, im sure the same question has been asked 20 times....

Originally posted by Duffer
Given that this is Sheffield it wont be long before some bright spark in the council decides that it is a fine axample of 60's architecture and make it a listed building anyhoo.

you missed out something here duff, they need to first put a picture of this fine structure on the front page of the Sheffield Star, and put Berite Bassett waving through one of the air vents.


(ok anyone who thinks i've been smokin dodgy fags, you obviously didnt see the star after the ParkHill flats front page, a few weeks ago)

me and my ex pondered hours about that building!!! we thought (like most) it was a bomb shelter of sum kind cos its so damn eerie!!! to say its one of the busiest places in sheff and no one ever goes in and no one ever comes out........ woooooooohooooooooo bit like charlie and the choc factory!

besides that i thought the telephone exchange thingy was further up where bar matrix used to b cos we had a family friend who worked there in the 60's, as for the national grid theory,,, that maybe true but wouldnt it make a noise? and people monitoring it? surely if sum of the grid is passed thru it it wud need workers? and i have never heard of anyone who knows anyone who works in there! and if so much leccie was going thru it wouldnt there b signs?

sum points to ponder on!

There is a big ugly grey building I pass everyday on the bus, and I have suddenly realised I would like to know what it is.
It is on the big Waitrose roundabout at the start of Ecclesall Rd. It is at the exit to Moore St, and right on the corner on the left hand side as you exit the rounsabout and head towards Stokes Tiles, next to whats left of the old Mercedes/Spa garage, and usually has flyposters stuck to the bottom of it near the entrance to the underpass.

Any Ideas?.

I could be wrong but isn't it a multi story carpark

multi storey cark park.

multi storey cark park.


Are you sure? Where is the entrance then? I think you are wrong, it is certainly not advertised....

It's an electricity substation, and there have been a number of threads about it in recent past, if you try searching for them.

round the back, beside where the arctic spas place used to be. Exposed magazine always used to park a car on the ramp so i assume the car park is not used.

It's an electricity substation, and there have been a number of threads about it in recent past, if you try searching for them.

no it isn't medusa. that's on the other side of the road, next to the flats and directly across Ecclesall road from the peugeot garage.

round the back, beside where the arctic spas place used to be. Exposed magazine always used to park a car on the ramp so i assume the car park is not used.

nah, that was the old Mercedes garage where they used to park on that ramp.
I'm talking about the bigger building nearer the road/roundabout.

nah, that was the old Mercedes garage where they used to park on that ramp.
I'm talking about the bigger building nearer the road/roundabout.

it is the substation you mean...

You mean the new Apartment block?

Not Wards Brewery phase (2/3) but the one just to the right of Waitrose?

There is a big ugly grey building I pass everyday on the bus, and I have suddenly realised I would like to know what it is.
It is on the big Waitrose roundabout at the start of Ecclesall Rd. It is at the exit to Moore St, and right on the corner on the left hand side as you exit the rounsabout and head towards Stokes Tiles, next to whats left of the old Mercedes/Spa garage, and usually has flyposters stuck to the bottom of it near the entrance to the underpass.

Any Ideas?.


This?

http://www.citysnapper.org/dm/sheff2001/09/2001091837moorest.jpg

Substation.

This?

http://www.citysnapper.org/dm/sheff2001/09/2001091837moorest.jpg

Substation.


Yeah, cheers mate. Found a nice little thread about it elsewhere on here.

well it should be a car park.
:s

My mate works for the national grid and apparently has to go in there from time to time, I was curious and wanted a look but apparently there's no chance of him getting me in there :(

That's the old BT exchange. I think the new one moved to bottom of herries road some years ago.

My mate works for the national grid and apparently has to go in there from time to time, I was curious and wanted a look but apparently there's no chance of him getting me in there :(


Think I might go down late tonight with a few mates and get in for a snoop around.

Maybe this could be Sheffield's new landmark? The Great Mysterious Building of the Somewhat-North.

Like the Angel of the North, but less angel-like and more mysterious-building-like.

Hmm, eponymous.

Hehe, this is just about the most common OP for a thread that we see on SF. I'll merge it into the other Moor Street Sub-Station thread soon. :D

That's teh ol BT exchange. I think the new one moved to bottom of herries road some years ago.
I don't see how it can be, unless the national grid and BT used to share it or the national grid bought it from BT as it's definately a building used by them for taking in electricity from the national grid and stepping it down to be used for our homes and businesses etc.

My mate works for national grid and goes in there from time to time.

There is another building a little further up Charter Row that is indeed the exchange, but it's not the step down transformer building:)

I think it looks gross- I'll give it a year before they move it and build flats on it

There is another building a little further up Charter Row that is indeed the exchange, but it's not the step down transformer building:)

Seconded... it aint the "exchange". I think the little way up Charter Row which Tony speaks about is Eldon House.

Certainly not the Sheffield Central exchange and further to previous posts, it never moved to Herries Road.... it's still on Charter Row.

My understanding is that the big ugly concrete block at the bottom of Charter Row is indeed an electricity sub station (albeit a large one) which serves a feed off the grid to the City Centre.

I think it looks gross- I'll give it a year before they move it and build flats on it
I don't reckon they will (although I could be proved wrong).

Imagine the cost and work involved in shifting something like that. While the building itself wouldn't be too hard to knock down and replace somewhere else, the contents of the building do a very important job as far as Sheffield's electricity supply goes, shifting that to somewhere else would cause all sorts of issues and cost a hell of a lot.

I reckon it will stay where it is, maybe get a facelift and that's about it.

Maybe this could be Sheffield's new landmark? The Great Mysterious Building of the Somewhat-North.

Like the Angel of the North, but less angel-like and more mysterious-building-like.

Hmm, eponymous.

Love the idea, perhaps you should suggest that the council publicise it as a visitor attraction? :hihi:

I think it should be painted with huge letters saying that it is a sub-station, to stop endless threads like this appearing every 6 months!

Then again that would just bring out the conspiracy theorists, who would claim that it was the government trying to disguise its real purpose. Can't win I suppose. :)

They appear to have just spent a lot of money putting an electric fence around it so it won't be going anywhere soon.

They appear to have just spent a lot of money putting an electric fence around it so it won't be going anywhere soon.

They might want to turn it on though! Me and a couple of mates went in last night at about 2am. Security was very poor to say the least.
I'd definately recommend a look though to any curious minds out there.

I suspect you are joking with this post and your one before about entering the site, but on the slight chance that you are not, next time get some photos, I am sure many of us are curious about what it looks like inside.

This?

http://www.citysnapper.org/dm/sheff2001/09/2001091837moorest.jpg

Substation.

Ah...Its BEAUTIFUL!!! Look at the fabulous design..the slick looks and sleek frontage...

the obviously post_gothic_neo_Fascist_Pre_war influence
has merged superbly with the modernist_neo_funk_post-renaissance_post-war_sub-featured architectural style
with just a DASH of the
post_anti-europe_pre-neo_viva la concrete_new-wave
of British design.

I LOVE IT. :hihi:

I suspect you are joking with this post and your one before about entering the site, but on the slight chance that you are not, next time get some photos, I am sure many of us are curious about what it looks like inside.


Not joking in the slightest mate. Sure I'll get some pictures next time, not sure how good they'll be though, I only be taking them with a 2.0 megapixel camera phone. Anyone is welcome to just come along with me though?

Ah...Its BEAUTIFUL!!! Look at the fabulous design..the slick looks and sleek frontage...

I LOVE IT. :hihi:

you being sarky?

I actually do really like this building - honest...if you take the time to actually stop and look at it, it's got great form and for a building that was never designed for people to use, I think there's a lot of attention been given to how it looks - sort of symmetry and repetitiveness.

It's better than West One, anyway...:P

It is definitely the old telephone exchange. It is definitely the most ugly building in Sheffield and if everyone wanted to hammer a piece off it like they did with the Berlin Wall till it fell down I wouldn't cry about it. They knocked down one of the few interesting buildings round there when they built what is now Waitrose. The old cooperative. Even painting a mural on it wouldn't help. Please please knock it down

It is definitely the old telephone exchange.I thought we'd established it's not the old telephone exchange? If it was, then did the national grid buy it and transform it to be used for their needs and if so when?

As far as I knew it was always what it is now.

Not joking in the slightest mate. Sure I'll get some pictures next time, not sure how good they'll be though, I only be taking them with a 2.0 megapixel camera phone. Anyone is welcome to just come along with me though?
I am still unsure if to take you seriously or not, but I will have to decline either way. Although I am curious about what's inside that building and think it would be great to have a look around, I don't intend to break the law to find out. But thanks anyway.

i wouldn't buy a flat next to it.

apparently the building emits a low humming noise that you can only here when it's quiet...ie at night. So although you might not hear much during the day/evening cos of the traffic, it seems quite loud during the night.

something for people to ponder on before they spend lots of cash!!!!!

Electricity sub station
It's been on the forum before as the ugliest building in Sheffield thread. A quick search should find it.
My art teacher used to say it was the best building in Sheffield, but that was in the 70s, so perhaps it was.
It looks lke an opened cereal packet.

It is definitely the old telephone exchange. It is definitely the most ugly building in Sheffield and if everyone wanted to hammer a piece off it like they did with the Berlin Wall till it fell down I wouldn't cry about it. They knocked down one of the few interesting buildings round there when they built what is now Waitrose. The old cooperative. Even painting a mural on it wouldn't help. Please please knock it down

It is definitely a Power sub station - you can see/hear the transformers in there round the back. I used to work in the exchange at Eldon up the road so I should know where that is!:rolleyes:

i wouldn't buy a flat next to it.

apparently the building emits a low humming noise that you can only here when it's quiet...ie at night. So although you might not hear much during the day/evening cos of the traffic, it seems quite loud during the night.

something for people to ponder on before they spend lots of cash!!!!!
I'd be more concerned about the effects on your health, all that power in one place can't be good, there's bound to be a link to cancer found one day as with most things, so expensive flats soon to be there may be quite bad for your health :D

It is definitely a Power sub station - you can see/hear the transformers in there round the back. I used to work in the exchange at Eldon up the road so I should know where that is!:rolleyes:Like I said before, my mate works for the national grid and goes in that building, so it definately is.

These people that claim is't a BT exchange or an ex BT exchange, do you have anything to back this up? There's no way it's a BT exchange now, he works with electricity, not phones. If you are claiming it used to be an exchange then fair enough, but at least let's see some proof.

They might want to turn it on though! Me and a couple of mates went in last night at about 2am. Security was very poor to say the least.
I'd definately recommend a look though to any curious minds out there.

If security is poor and you got in like you say! does not need bringing to someone in the authorities attention surely it`s a high security risk that could see the power to the city wiped out

I went in with a couple of mates a couple of days ago, after a heavy sesh `bout 3.00am the security guard even offered us a nosey round, if we gave him a ciggy. Nowt much to look at.

The Charter Row exchange is 2 buildings down from the BT call centre - it has the high fencing around it.

I've been in there - so i know where it is.

the pics good - but i am more concerned with the cars - god they are going in all sorts of directions.

I think half the reason its so ugly is because of the huge support buttresses in it. If you look at it, it looks like its built to withstand some abuse, which I expect is because the electricity equipment inside it is bloody heavy. It must be designed to take some weight.

I do think its a giant conspiracy and that this building serves some other purpose that the government are not telling us - like the secret gateway to a vast military complex under the sheffield hills .....

I am so loving this thread, it's like an SF groundhog day .... I have a feeling there are other undiscovered threads on this subject lurking unseen in the archives :hihi:

We used to call it one hundred and one ways with concrete and I think it's actually mentioned in one of Pevsner guides :suspect:

im not sure either

The third paving stone (furthest from the kerb) after Street Light No 1724 is the location of the 'cloaked' entry lift.
If you stand there you will only be visible to the CCTV camera above you.
You should mouth the phrase of the day to the camera for admission.

Due to the current budget difficulties, though, Torchwood HQ have advised that operational staff will only be on duty every third Tuesday.

http://www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

good pic of it.

for anyone who's still a little confused, you can simply walk round the back and see a very big sign that says 'Sheffield Electricity Sub-Station'. pretty big clue right there.

I love it - should be more interesting buildings like this in my opinion.