Adaptive Reuse: The Approach to Park Hill Molly’s Group BA: Interior Architecture and Design 2019
INTRODUCTION The Park Hill renovation is an example of extensive adaptive reuse of a Grade-II listed building on the outskirts of Sheffield’s city centre, UK. This is an architectural collaboration of Studio Egret West, Hawkins Brown and Grant Associates. This gradual
transformation aims to “regenerate a notoriously neglected estate” (Hawkins and Brown, 2019). The architects design choices, architectural and surface alterations bear the responsibility of giving this building back to Sheffield as an attribute to be proud of.
Figure: Image of inner facing Park Hill Flats in use (Urban Splash, 2019)
1. CONTEXT
2. DESIGN RESPONSE
1.1. Site Park Hill is built in the industrial district of Sheffield, which has now become an iconic architectural example of mass adaptive reuse that has evolved with the social, political and present-day demands. The residential development now finds itself surrounded by and accommodating for the needs of an expanding education industry; fuelled by two inner city universities.
2.1 Mode of Production Park Hill, as an existing building, according to Scott, which reached one of “3 possible fates... to remain unchanged, to be altered or to be demolished” (Scott, 2008:1). Additionally, this project is recognised as a series of Interventions, for instance, in order to create apartments spreading over two floors, thus consisted of permanently removing sections of the existing floor to create voids for staircases within the residential spaces. Originally, Park Hill was designed with sociable, communal spaces to encourage interaction much like that of a traditional street. The design incorporated 3 metre-wide ‘streets’ with names to create, in a sense, a vertical neighbourhood. Upon alteration, in order to meet the social demands in 2007, the architects imposed extensions out onto the ‘streets’ to correlate with a new era of residents. If alterations like this were not made to keep up with the new, Park Hill could have been in threat of “eventual loss of occupation” (Scott, 2008:1).
1.2 Purpose of the project The initial purpose of Park Hill was to meet the housing demands for the growing steelwork industry. The steelworks brought working-class residents to the centre; political and social disposition as created a shift in demographics. The centre is now priced, developed and built for a middle and upper-class residents due to the building of universities. Regardless of these shifts, the purpose of Park Hill still remains to meet Sheffield’s housing demand.
2.2 Type of Adaption The Park Hill redevelopment mainly consisted of spatial reconstruction and adaptation. The building was stripped back to the gridded concrete framework and structural foundations to enable works and allow for new works (Scott, 2008:1). Less internal walls were inserted within the flat than initially to create open plan living that echoes the demands of modern-living. Contrastingly, more walls were inserted within the ‘streets’ to create small, enclosed spaces.
1.3 Adaption - With Social Context The social changes created a need for a split between private and social areas, by creating these ‘porches’ to enter through before the flat, creating a separation before emerging onto the ‘street’ comparing this to the initial design of ‘streets in the sky’ which established a more communal aspect by encouraging people to socialise. In adapting, the designers altered the ergonomics of the building, for example, ‘thresholds’ were created to meet the demands for a more secure, personal and enclosed entrance to each apartment.
Altering the facade by inserting floor to ceiling windows not only enhances the exterior appearance yet enables natural light to flood the reception and living spaces whilst emphasising the brutalist, modular structure (The Modern House, 2019). 2.3 Interventionist Process Park Hill’s Interventionist language encapsulated Le Corbusier’s 5 points of modern architecture which were originally translated through Villa Savoye, further instilled on a larger scale through his work Unite d’Habitation which bares resemblance to Park Hill throughout.
Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier, 1929
2.4 Design Tactics The design tactics of Park Hill are comparable to those of Le Corbusier. Most notably, Park Hill features strip windows which were designed to be more prominent following the 2007 renovation. These conscious tactics reveal disparity, for instance, Park Hill’s floor to ceiling windows provide wider views, thus only appear to be strip windows when viewed from afar due to the sheer scale of the buildings. However, Villa Savoye features a thinner ribbon which appear large due to the proportions of the building, yet they provide more controlled, framed views.
Unite’d Habitation by Le Corbusier, 1957
Stripping back consisted of conscious choices; retaining non-structural, yet original walls and beams in order to retain hints of historical context; now subtly threaded throughout the spaces, yet almost seem at random. This compliments the exteriors repetitive geometric patterns of glass and brightly colour panels. Additionally, conscious and subtle hints of the buildings previous life exist through the ombre anodized aluminium panels and act as an extension to the former coloured brickwork which gradually faded with sunlight.
Park Hill by Collaboration, 2007-ongoing
Balcony The retained balconies and balustrates with concrete beams and brutalist frames.
Street The adapted narrow street that indicates the public and private zones throughout.
Threshold The personal boundary which immitates the entry of a terrace house.
REFERENCES
CONCLUSION Le Corbusier had an immeasurable influence on the alteration of Park Hill; with regard to the purpose, the surface and the spatial use of the building today. To summarise, the progression from the diminished aesthetics, reputation and public approval to the new reinstated icon is a progression in which has brought a new lease of life to the building, the residents and the public. The complete and continuing phases of Park Hill stand as a current day execution of Le Corbusier’s five points of modern architecture applied to a project of large-scale adaptive reuse.
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Adaptive Reuse: The Approach to Park Hill Molly’s Group Submitted in fulfillment of a part of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Interior Architecture and Design. Supervisor: Module:
Dr. Raymund Konigk Methods and Perspectives INT2171M April 2019
I declare that this report is my own work and has not previously been submitted for assessment.