Hyde Park, South Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Hyde Park is a district in Sheffield
, England
. The area is named after fields that occupied the area in the early 19th century.
The area was used for cricket matches between 1824 and 1856. It had space for up to 10 cricket matches at a time. It was also the site of the first cricket match between Yorkshire
and Lancashire
on the 20 July 1849.
Hyde Park was the site of the earliest large scale slum clearance in Britain, the previous back-to-back housing having been known as "Little Chicago" in the 1930s, due to the violent crimes sometimes committed there. The area was partially razed before the Second World War
.
The nearby Park Hill housing estate
was built between 1957 and 1961. Designed by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith, the deck access scheme, inspired by Le Corbusier
's Unité d'Habitation
and the Smithson's unbuilt schemes, most notably for Golden Lane in London
, was viewed as revolutionary at the time.
The concept of the flats was described as streets in the sky. Broad decks, wide enough for milk floats, had large numbers of front doors opening onto them. Each deck of structure, except the top one, has direct access to ground level at some point on the sloping site. The site also allows the roofline to remain level despite the building varying between four and thirteen stories in height. The scheme incorporates a shopping precinct and a primary school.
Further housing schemes were completed to similar designs, include the nearby Hyde Park estate and the Kelvin Flats. Although initially popular and successful, over time the fabric of the buildings decayed somewhat and some other disadvantages have become apparent. The buildings at Hyde Park were partially demolished and refurbished for use in the 1991 World Student Games
. The Kelvin estate was demolished in the early nineties, replaced with the smaller Philadelphia housing estate with both private and rented houses. The Park Hill estate still survives as a grade II* listed building, and large scale renovation is under way.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The area is named after fields that occupied the area in the early 19th century.
The area was used for cricket matches between 1824 and 1856. It had space for up to 10 cricket matches at a time. It was also the site of the first cricket match between Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on the 20 July 1849.
Hyde Park was the site of the earliest large scale slum clearance in Britain, the previous back-to-back housing having been known as "Little Chicago" in the 1930s, due to the violent crimes sometimes committed there. The area was partially razed before the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The nearby Park Hill housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
was built between 1957 and 1961. Designed by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith, the deck access scheme, inspired by Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
's Unité d'Habitation
Unité d'Habitation
The Unité d'Habitation is the name of a modernist residential housing design principle developed by Le Corbusier, with the collaboration of painter-architect Nadir Afonso...
and the Smithson's unbuilt schemes, most notably for Golden Lane in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, was viewed as revolutionary at the time.
The concept of the flats was described as streets in the sky. Broad decks, wide enough for milk floats, had large numbers of front doors opening onto them. Each deck of structure, except the top one, has direct access to ground level at some point on the sloping site. The site also allows the roofline to remain level despite the building varying between four and thirteen stories in height. The scheme incorporates a shopping precinct and a primary school.
Further housing schemes were completed to similar designs, include the nearby Hyde Park estate and the Kelvin Flats. Although initially popular and successful, over time the fabric of the buildings decayed somewhat and some other disadvantages have become apparent. The buildings at Hyde Park were partially demolished and refurbished for use in the 1991 World Student Games
1991 Summer Universiade
The 1991 Summer Universiade, also known as the XVI Summer Universiade, took place in Sheffield, England. In the host country it was generally referred to as the World Student Games....
. The Kelvin estate was demolished in the early nineties, replaced with the smaller Philadelphia housing estate with both private and rented houses. The Park Hill estate still survives as a grade II* listed building, and large scale renovation is under way.
External links
- Several photos of the Hyde Park Estate by Peter Jones
- Sources for the study of the history of Park Hill and Hyde Park flats Produced by Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives