Thursday 20 March 2008

Hammerson vomits onto Sheffield

Sheffield is getting an exciting new retail 'quarter', although at last count we already had more than four anyway and by this reckoning the whole city is only 80 acres. At this rate you will be able to literally decimate Sheffield's population of quarters by knocking down one largish building.

Anyway "Sevenstone" is going to squat like a festering tramp opposite the newly tarted up City Hall and see the end of iconic structures such as the current Cole Brothers building. The outline plans are now online and in my never humble opinion show a terrible mishmash of conflicted designs which are too now (and in at least one case yesterday) and will date really quickly. There also seems to be a preponderance of stairs with seemingly no attendant ramps or other access. So hopefully disability groups are already winding up their backlash.

On the flip side, the Citadel is staying and from the looks of the latest versions of the plans will get a sympathetic conversion. It is just a shame it is into two shops rather than anything ore imaginative, given that a huge great retail complex is going up next door, it would have made a great alternative arts and entertainment venue.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'd still love to buy the damn thing....