The Office/Apartment block that is been built is starting to take shape now. They have some of the windows in on some floors. Does anyone else think it is going to be a big dissapointment in terms of what it looks like. I will reserve final judgement till it is done, but it looks like it is going to look like a tired office block even when it is brand new. The design seems about 20 years old.

Lets wait and see

Originally posted by march
The Office/Apartment block that is been built is starting to take shape now. They have some of the windows in on some floors. Does anyone else think it is going to be a big dissapointment in terms of what it looks like. I will reserve final judgement till it is done, but it looks like it is going to look like a tired office block even when it is brand new. The design seems about 20 years old.

The shape of the building reminds me of the 60's office block on Arundel Gate. The one near to the Crucible on the Corner next to the Health clinic.

at the time the orginal planning permissions were applied for someone commented that they looked like three large toads squatting there ... and it looks like they were right!

But let us be optimistic, someone pays these architects good money for all this stuff ... wait and hope :help:

I have a suspicion that the windows on show now are going to look like this when finished - (artists impression (http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/i_love_sy/redevelopment/gallery/images/impression_day.jpg)).

Found that image on this BBC page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/i_love_sy/redevelopment/index.shtml).

I'm no expert, but IMHO it doesn't look very good architecture. Hopefully it'll look good when finished...

'let's wait and see'

what are you idiots talking about?

this reminds me of the piece in the Star recently about city centre architecture: "these buildings might end up being ugly disappointments, but let's wait till they're finished".

why? what can you do once a building is built? You are lumbered with it for 30 years. the time to complain is beforehand. unfortunately our council declined to listen.

But you're right about the architecture: mock 70's, cheap, stick on panels and no flair at all. I think architects should be struck off like doctors when they churn out this sort of rubbish. the centre of our city too. it makes me feel sick.

Yeah, these are pretty poor - Some councillors have said "This is a s good as any architecture going up in other major UK cities" It blatantly isn't, this is sub standard stuff.

I'd like to seem these just be fillers, until high quality replacements are planned in 5 years time for maybe. But i won't hol dmy breath.

Originally posted by tom_common
'let's wait and see'
what are you idiots talking about?


You dont have to insult your fellow forummers to make your point. We're not all idiots and some of us do have a grasp on reality ... developers build what they want to build, not always what the City would like ... and planning law is a minefield.

I once had a house built and at the halfway stage, it looked like like my worst nightmare ... but when it was finished, it looked fine ... so as I said, on paper they looked like squatting toads and I see no reason at the moment to revise my opinion.. but there's nothing to be done at this stage, we have to wait and hope!

Having said that, the present administration has used their majority to inflict some awful things on the City in the past few years .. some of it due to their previous ineptitude in forward planning when they were in control the last time, covering up the Winter Garden with the hotel for one, and some of it due to their present ineptude this time round. But it's a fait accompli now ... looks like we have to make the best of it this time.

Next time you see something you dont like the look of planned for the City Centre, maybe we can utilise the abilities and talents of existing forummers to launch an objection.

On the plans it looks like the old 'Eggbox' has been taken away and squashed flat with some new windows put in, then replaces without us knowing :D

It does look like the artist's impression is going to be pretty accurate. Seeing that, it looks just like a building that I used to work in that was built in the 60s I believe. I aren't "up" on architectural fashions but I don't think retro is in at the minute. Not like that anyway!

It looks dreadful and it hiding one of the few buildings built in Sheffield in the last 10 years that I like, The Winter gardens.

it's not tall enough to start off with we need to see some skyscrapers in sheffield for god sake it's the 21st century.

From what the artist's drawing and the building as it stands it looks very nice, classic, and is basically covering the view of the greenhouse.

I'm a statisfied customer :)

Originally posted by sigmar14
it's not tall enough to start off with we need to see some skyscrapers in sheffield for god sake it's the 21st century.
And what are we going to do with skyscrapers?

Originally posted by sigmar14
it's not tall enough to start off with we need to see some skyscrapers in sheffield for god sake it's the 21st century.

Eh? What? Why?

The new Macdonalds' hotel seems to be coming along fine too. Can't wait to see the finished buildings. Will suspend judgement until the office block and hotel are completed.

I've had, and continue to have huge doubts about these buildings, but shall wait till they're finished before commenting further.

All I can say is that I noticed the other day how much daylight has been lost since these buildings started going up. The gardens were really bright and colourful; it's seems there are going to be a lot of shady corners now.

Shady = dull.

I've got to say I'm not impressed witht he office block so far, but I think it will look completely different once it's finished and completely glazed.

I do think it's a bit dull though compared to how imaginative the Winter Garden building is.

The new office block & hotel are absolutley foul to look at. Why instead of the developers telling us, not convincingly, that these constructions are prestigious & high quality, honestly does anyone fall for this? They should admit it is just the very cheapest way to make a functional building. It really iritates me to see this crap next door to the beautiful town hall & blocking the view of the excellent modern building, the Winter gardens

I htink the hotel is taking shape really well and looking pretty good in the renderings on the either end of the site.

Originally posted by Tim42
The new office block & hotel are absolutley foul to look at. Why instead of the developers telling us, not convincingly, that these constructions are prestigious & high quality, honestly does anyone fall for this? They should admit it is just the very cheapest way to make a functional building. It really iritates me to see this crap next door to the beautiful town hall & blocking the view of the excellent modern building, the Winter gardens

Maybe we should applaud our councillors who - on behalf remember - managed to destroy the awful Eggbox BUT still managed to go one better and find something worse.

That takes quite a bit of skill, doesn't it?

Originally posted by AndrewC
I htink the hotel is taking shape really well and looking pretty good in the renderings on the either end of the site.

I agree. The Hotel appears much more promising than the office block at the moment.

Does anybody know when they are starting on the other two office blocks next to it?
Also i have read today on the council website a planning application has gone in for a 19 storey building on the corner of Pinstone Street at the top of the Moor.
That area will look quite good with all the high rise buildings including Howden House and the soon to be refurbished office block next to it.

Does this new Macdonalds' hotel have an underground car park or do guests, staff and visitors have to make do with what's available on Norfolk and Surrey Streets ? That should be fun ;)

Originally posted by unners
Also i have read today on the council website a planning application has gone in for a 19 storey building on the corner of Pinstone Street at the top of the Moor.


Unners, - do you have a link for this ? I thought all the Victoriana on Pinstone Street was listed. What are they going to demolish ?

Originally posted by Greybeard
Unners, - do you have a link for this ? I thought all the Victoriana on Pinstone Street was listed. What are they going to demolish ?

http://libplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/planning/details.asp?Id=18537&Typ=W

You would have to look at the application at Howden House to see if any demolition is involved.

Originally posted by cgksheff
http://libplugins.sheffield.gov.uk/planning/details.asp?Id=18537&Typ=W

You would have to look at the application at Howden House to see if any demolition is involved.

Thanks, it's on the corner with Furnival Gate, - further down than I had imagined. Looks to be replacing "Nos. 149/151 & 155 Pinstone Street and No. 23 Furnival Gate".

Ninety more apartments for the 'city living' brigade :D

They look rubbish... boring, uninspiring, ugly shape and dull cladding. Why oh why do they go to all the trouble of building the Winter Gardens, which the council promote so heavily as part of Sheffield's identity, then block it in by all these ugly new buildings?

Am absolutely gutted at these monstrosities that are going up. St Paul's Place looks like my pre-fab 1970's primary school on steroids. I blame the planning system... for such a prestigious site the planners must have strangled any form of initiative or innovation out of the design, leaving a building that is incredibly offensive in it's inoffensiveness.

Originally posted by Greybeard
Unners, - do you have a link for this ? I thought all the Victoriana on Pinstone Street was listed. What are they going to demolish ?

Other side - above cooplands bakers etc, on the block beside currys.

If it IS the grosvenor house hotel block then thats going anyway and any sensitive facades will probably be maintained, but i don't think there are any on that block.

I'va actually had a look at St Paul's place this morning.
I'm really happy to see the Winter Greenhouse hidden and not to be seen again, but I have to agree that pannelling does look a bit naf !

Originally posted by Greybeard
Does this new Macdonalds' hotel have an underground car park or do guests, staff and visitors have to make do with what's available on Norfolk and Surrey Streets ? That should be fun ;)
There is a new car park included in the overall scheme.

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
I'va actually had a look at St Paul's place this morning.
I'm really happy to see the Winter Greenhouse hidden and not to be seen again, but I have to agree that pannelling does look a bit naf !

But what about the poor plants ? They presumably need sunlight to survive, but are going to struggling in the shadow of these new buldings most of the year. Can't tell how the hotel will turn out but the other building is beginning to look like a mediocre 1960s office block.

It's hard to fathom the thinking of our city fathers, - the Winter Gardens were touted as a feature of our city-scape in all the development literature they put out to justify the building and now they've contrived to hide it from view completely :loopy:

Originally posted by Greybeard
But what about the poor plants ? They presumably need sunlight to survive, but are going to struggling in the shadow of these new buldings most of the year. Yeah, but as strange as it might seem to you perhpa,s not everyone thinks the Winter greenhouse should have been built !

IIRC the hotel will have parking for about 12 cars, which in effect will mean 12 delivery vehicles. Also, isn't it ironic that as the Grosvenor Hotel is about to be razed to the ground, buildings of similar 'quality' are going up in the Heart of Sheffield (council's words, not mine)?

Sheffield City Council: snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
Yeah, but as strange as it might seem to you perhaps not everyone thinks the Winter greenhouse should have been built !

I think the winter gardens are an excellent piece of architecture, and formed a great back-drop for the peace gardens. However, having seen this

http://www.yorkshireplc.com/sections/commercial_prop/images/img_03.gif

it looks like the development might fit quite well. Does anybody know of a link to the artists renditions of the site?

b

Originally posted by basshedz2

http://www.yorkshireplc.com/sections/commercial_prop/images/img_03.gif
Does anybody know of a link to the artists renditions of the site?
b

This looks like an imaginary view from where the old Register Office used to be......dripping with artistic license.

There will be a similar view of the other end of the Winter Gardens from Tudor Square. However the main architectural impact, which was the side view from Pinstone Street, is now completely lost.

I appreciate that many people think the Winter Gardens building is out of keeping with the Victorian architecture surrounding the Peace Gardens, but then so are the two buildings the council have used to hide it. ;)

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
Yeah, but as strange as it might seem to you perhpa,s not everyone thinks the Winter greenhouse should have been built !

This seems to include the council, if their indecent haste to hide the Winter Gardens from view is anything to go by :rolleyes: ;)

I was thinking earlier as I went past the buildings that they do look like, as many of you have already said, tacky 60's developments - just another typical dreary Sheffield building.

Originally posted by gemma86
I was thinking earlier as I went past the buildings that they do look like, as many of you have already said, like tack 60's developments - just another typical dreary Sheffield building.

Yes Gemma. But they make out its something really attractive & the Yorkshire grey is going to be puulled down to make way for this crap building. Literaly, what a terrible waste of space. The developers must have offered a load of money for this land. What a contribution to a dreary ugly city. How dissapointing. I love Sheffield but not this.

Originally posted by Tim42
the Yorkshire grey is going to be puulled down .

For the ill advised period that the Yorkshire Grey became the Bar Rio - with the singing bar staff - it deserves to be demolished for that reason alone!

Originally posted by Terraviva
They look rubbish... boring, uninspiring, ugly shape and dull cladding. Why oh why do they go to all the trouble of building the Winter Gardens, which the council promote so heavily as part of Sheffield's identity, then block it in by all these ugly new buildings?

Am absolutely gutted at these monstrosities that are going up. St Paul's Place looks like my pre-fab 1970's primary school on steroids. I blame the planning system... for such a prestigious site the planners must have strangled any form of initiative or innovation out of the design, leaving a building that is incredibly offensive in it's inoffensiveness.

There isn't enough profit in innovation in Sheffield. Sorry, but for a building to be built there at all it's going to have to use the cheapest materials, the crappest architects and the blandest designs. City centre sheffield simply does not pull enough rents and is too high risk to developers for anything innovative to be succesful.

I'm quite sure that the council and the planning system haven't strangled the design on this one, but the developers and the economics of the land.

They are horrible though, no relationship at all to the buildings around them.

just been sat in the HAHA bar for an hour - must say that once you get used to it i think the finished building won't look so bad.

Being a wonderful day I thought I'd go and soak some sun up in the peace gardens and noticed that the scaffolding is now coming off the hotel. To be honest I must admit that the building is not as bad as first thought it would be. Apart from the hideous metal roof it doesnt look like a bad effort. On the other hand the building opposite looks like something they have reclaimed from a 1970's Birmingham city centre. I'm interested to know what others think of these buildings??

I agree with both or your observations.

the offices are not very impressive, but as with the hotel they might look better when they are finished. Hopefully the square in the middle will go some way to improving the whole development.

where is st paul's place?

Same as you DD - i dont think the Hotel looks too bad at all (considering the 70s style urban vomitus facing it) :gag: :P

I'm in full agreement.

St Paul = ok.

next door = eeek.

Wish they take the cobbles off and put some more grass where the gardens used to be though...

I agree too. The hotel looks ok but the other one is rubbish. More discussion here -

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36736

of what i can remember i'm sure those are brown pannelings on the building to the wright,how more 70s can you get,and as for the winter gardens,its a bit small and not many trees n stuff.then again i suppose it fits in to the size of the city center ok.

Originally posted by the fonz
the offices are not very impressive, but as with the hotel they might look better when they are finished. Hopefully the square in the middle will go some way to improving the whole development.

I've got high hopes for the square too, a nice sculpture and a fountain or two will look nice, until it's covered in chewing gum that is.

Originally posted by march
[B]I agree too. The hotel looks ok but the other one is rubbish.

On Saturday the hotel was still under wraps so impossible to see what it looks like......have they now removed all that sheeting ??

just got back from two weeks away and most of the hotel is now visable. I sat with my friend in tudor square yesterday evening and it was great seeing how busy it was as everyone was waiting to go into the lyceum and crucible for shows.

Very dissapointing how quiet the city is when the students have gone...

anyway the whole area looked really nice and the hotel looks great i think. and as the sun shone off the panels of the office block for a second that looked ok too!