New buildings in Sheffield - Do you like them?

[SheffBloke]

I don't know where people get this idea that Sheffield ever had a harmonious building plan, it's not like anyone ever sat down and planned the layout/buildings/skyline of Sheffield.

Like most cities in England it's totaly eclectic with each period adding it's own buildings totaly randomly wherever there is space. After half of London was destroyed by fire they asked Wren to devise a "plan" for the rebuilding, then they totaly ignored it and built the city you see today, it's the English way.

 

Land ownership scuppered those plans, which were awseome by the way, and the city was rebuilt in much the same way as it was before the fire, and it's still the same today.

But your right, English cities are randomly built where there's space and not much thought ever goes into it, Scottish city's differ though, Glasgow is built on a grid system and so it the new town in Edinburgh, some thought went into those.

[Santiago]

I like the new buildings arounds the Peace Gardens - the hotel looks like it will last whereas the triangular office block - although quite attractive now - might be one of those buildings that gets replaced in the future.

 

But then this is the Sheffield way isn't it? The city tends to rebuild itself every so often.

 

Other northern cities like Liverpool might have more historic, grandiose buildings that attract tourists but they also arguably hold the place in some ways as many historic buildings serve no major modern-day function and simply make the place look pretty.

 

I think a balance is needed between iconic buildings that are meant to last and buildings that we can accept will come and go with the times.

[Dan_Ashcroft]

The one saving grace about the new prefab 'paper and staples' buildings is that they are only being built to last 30 years so our children will have the pleasure of watching them being blown up like we've been able to do with the 60's monsrosities.

 

Oh for the days when buildings were made of stone and built to last centuries. I just don't understand why anyone would want to live in bolted together porter cabins when we have such a wealth of lovely refurbished terrace houses.

 

Northern cities really suffer from having these identical Macarno buildings dumped on them. You go to any and they are all the same - cheap and tacky.

 

The Borg Ship (aka the Information Commons) is far from unique btw - I've seen very similar buildings in at least two other places.

 

More stone and curves, less prefab and blue and red paneling please.

[nick2]

Oh for the days when buildings were made of stone and built to last centuries.

 

Those were the days when they didn't think twice about mining half a hill to get the stone required, thesedays people would be quite upset to dicover a huge quarry had opened just outside Castleton to supply the building trade with nice stone.

[Bluwaterbob]

Hi, I Live In Both Leeds And Sheffield And Spend Time In Both City Centres. Leeds Seems To Have An Infrastructure Which Attracts Businesses That Invest In Attractive Buildings / Head Offices / Regional Offices Etc, Sheffield On The Whole Is More Of A Satellite, Where Work Is Cheap But Management Decisions Are Carried Out But Not Necessarily Made.this Seems A Role Which The People Of Sheffield Seem Comfortable With Giving Rise To A Friendly City But Not Much Spare Cash Spent On Anything Other Than Basic Requirements, Buildings Inc.

I Personally Believe This Council Is Lacking In Direction And Has Chosen To Manage Its Local Economy In A Different Fashion To The Other Major Cities Giving Rise To This Amongst Other Long Term Problems For The Local Economy.

[goldenfleece]

In my opinion all of the new buildings, without exception, really SUCK

[pininsho]

Those were the days when they didn't think twice about mining half a hill to get the stone required, thesedays people would be quite upset to dicover a huge quarry had opened just outside Castleton to supply the building trade with nice stone.

 

So where do the materials to make the concrete, steel and pre-fabricated buildings come from? Thin air?

The simple fact of the matter is the present building boom is environmentally unsustainable and will inevitably come to an end. The future will see more buildings refurbished or new ones built from reclaimed materials and it will be down to businesses to come up with more creative ways of adapting their business to fit the building/s and not the other way around.

[Witham]

Even now, with all the new buildings going up, Sheffield still looks to me like a city that is not - architecturally, at least - on the cutting edge. All the new structures look retro - as if Sheffield isn't good enough for the brilliant new edifices every other city seems to get. They all look somehow ... old fashioned.

[pininsho]

Even now, with all the new buildings going up, Sheffield still looks to me like a city that is not - architecturally, at least - on the cutting edge. All the new structures look retro - as if Sheffield isn't good enough for the brilliant new edifices every other city seems to get. They all look somehow ... old fashioned.

 

Yes. It's bad enough when you have a lot of poor modern 'architecture' (if that's the right word), but when that 'architecture' also looks old fashioned and outdated, in some cases even before it's been built (eg Sevenstones), then we really are in trouble.

Compare that scenario to the timeless, decorative real architecture that you find in some of the world's most historic tourist hotspots.

[gularscute]

But at least its using alternative materials, adding a bit of colour, and unique.

 

Has anyone seen the modern architecture in Berlin? its inspiring, it would never work over here, planning and local government would never allow it!

 

 

Uniquely awful!

 

It looks like it was designed by someone with a bad hangover and a grudge against society.