Council Housing, Park Hill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
The Park Hill housing development was designed and built in 1957-60 by Sheffield City Corporation. It was formally opened in 1961. The whole development consisted of 995 flats and maisonettes on 17 acres of land with a density of 192 people per acre. The unit (per flat) cost was £2,800 each. The scheme included 31 shops, 4 pubs, a laundry boiler house, a rubbish disposal system and garages. Access to the flats was via decks wide enough for a milk float. They were planned as 'streets in the sky' a way of recreating the community spirit of traditional streets of terraced housing. Sheffield was one of the few local authority departments designing imaginative and successful public housing in the 1950s. This development was its flagship but was not liked by everyone. The development still dominates the Sheffield skyline and its future has been hotly debated. The flats are currently (2010) being renovated.
Location
South Yorkshire SheffieldPeriod
1950s (1950 - 1959)Themes
