Gleadless Valley and Le Corbusier
The Gleadless Valley housing estate in Sheffield is located 3 miles South East of the city centre and lies within the Sheffield South community assembly area (Sheffield City Council, 2012). Developed between 1955 and 1962 in a rural area occupying farmland, the social housing estate was built as part of a slum clearance scheme in association with Sheffield City Council (Tartaglia-Kershaw, 1982). Similar to our discoveries of Park Hill, the topography of the land does not suitably fit Le Corbusier’s ideology of a level site (Le Gates & Stout, 1996). Due to the rolling terrain of Gleadless Valley, the possibility of levelling the site would have proved unviable with potential economic problems and detrimental environmental impacts. Nevertheless, other influences from Le Corbusier’s work are present and visible within Gleadless Valley. Gleadless Valley was an ambitious project and ‘vies with Park Hill as Sheffield’s greatest contribution to the post-war development of public housing in Britain’ (Harman and Minnis, 2004:243).
Structure
The building and development of the estate was overseen by the Sheffield city architect of the time John Lewis Womersley (Architectural Review, 2011). It was built during a time period in which the city of Sheffield demanded new and affordable housing and needed post-war development. The aim of the estate was to provide better quality housing for the working class and eradicate remaining slums which were created during Sheffield’s mass transformation throughout the Industrial Revolution, a concept which Le Corbusier favoured.
As a result, Gleadless Valley was not the only social housing estate to be built at this time; Park Hill flats were also developed. Gleadless Valley estate may not have such a daring aesthetic face in comparison to Park Hill; but the estate is still uniquely identifiable due to the subtle manner in which the housing designs have been adapted in order to align with the area’s hilly landscape.
Gleadless Valley's tower blocks
The estate was built with the intention of housing 17,000 people and comprises of a mixture of maisonettes, flat roof houses, terraced housing and tower blocks. Elements of Le Corbusier’s ‘Contemporary City’ are reflected in the choice of housing, however the relationship between this and Gleadless is most apparent in the forms of the tower blocks, Le Corbusier believing that ‘the centre of the city must be constructed vertically’ (Le Gates & Stout, 1996). Le Corbusier argued that high density housing such as tower blocks were needed to house high populations but cover small expanses of land and leave more green spaces and parkland available. Although, Gleadless Valley is not in the city centre, vertical living has been integrated to suit the aim of the estate.
Unité d'Habitation
Unlike Sheffield’s other famous social housing estate of the Utopian era, Park Hill, Gleadless Valley’s relation to Le Corbusier’s famous housing design is less obvious. Concrete is the predominant iconic material related to Unité d'Habitation, however the houses of Gleadless Valley very much consist of brick. The influence of Le Corbusian architectural design may not be clearly replicated in Gleadless; however there is a clear linear formation to the estate, much idolised by Le Corbusier. Gleadless’ tower blocks however fail to create the same social cohesion as the ‘streets in the sky’ within Park Hill or Unité d'Habitation and are limited in creating a social collective, being part of a multi-faceted social order, segregated by building type.
Nature
Le Corbusian ideology, especially for the ‘Radiant City’ very much focussed on the interaction between man and nature. He argued that trees and green space help to alleviate the stress caused by urban living. Gleadless Valley is a clearly definitive example of Le Corbusier’s influence in terms of nature. Gleadless Valley estate is surrounded by woodland and meadows which form part of the Gleadless Valley Local Nature Reserve, a project funded by Natural England (Sheffield City Council, 2012), extending the urban sprawl of the city into the countryside, where ‘the residents of the Gleadless Valley are essentially urban – they perceive woodland as picturesque’ (Tartaglia-Kershaw, 1982:25).
Unlike Sheffield’s other famous social housing estate of the Utopian era, Park Hill, Gleadless Valley’s relation to Le Corbusier’s famous housing design is less obvious. Concrete is the predominant iconic material related to Unité d'Habitation, however the houses of Gleadless Valley very much consist of brick. The influence of Le Corbusian architectural design may not be clearly replicated in Gleadless; however there is a clear linear formation to the estate, much idolised by Le Corbusier. Gleadless’ tower blocks however fail to create the same social cohesion as the ‘streets in the sky’ within Park Hill or Unité d'Habitation and are limited in creating a social collective, being part of a multi-faceted social order, segregated by building type.
Nature
Le Corbusian ideology, especially for the ‘Radiant City’ very much focussed on the interaction between man and nature. He argued that trees and green space help to alleviate the stress caused by urban living. Gleadless Valley is a clearly definitive example of Le Corbusier’s influence in terms of nature. Gleadless Valley estate is surrounded by woodland and meadows which form part of the Gleadless Valley Local Nature Reserve, a project funded by Natural England (Sheffield City Council, 2012), extending the urban sprawl of the city into the countryside, where ‘the residents of the Gleadless Valley are essentially urban – they perceive woodland as picturesque’ (Tartaglia-Kershaw, 1982:25).
However, Gleadless Valley is far from Le Corbusier’s concept of the vertical garden city, as although it lays within the city boundaries it can be classed as a suburb, which Le Corbusier disapproved of. Despite this, the estate undoubtedly aligns with Le Corbusier’s vision to improve the quality of life for the lower classes, and the fact that it is set in a large area of green space is central to this. Residents of Gleadless Valley felt they had ‘daily contact with nature by the mere presence of the wood in the view from the window’ (Tartaglia-Kershaw, 1982:25). As Harman and Minnis summarise, it is ‘a highly successful fusion of two, apparently opposing, ideals: high-density housing types on small plots and the garden city’ (2004:243).
Le Corbusier’s influence
Both Gleadless Valley and Park Hill contain aspects of Le Corbusian ideology and modernist architecture of the time; however from observation we conclude that Park Hill highlights more similarities than Gleadless Valley in terms of organisation and collectivity. Park Hill clearly emphasises his work with the different elements of architectural design including concrete materials and organised social space. Comparatively, Gleadless Valley’s influences are more subtly taken on board to emphasise the relationship between nature and man, as explored in the ‘Radiant city’.
Interviews
The Gleadless Valley estate has received considerable media attention on both a local and national scale since its completion in the early 1960’s. Once in the media ‘spotlight’ as an example of great Utopian thinking and architectural brilliance, its reputation has deteriorated dramatically, especially in the past decade with reports of murders, multiple crimes and high teenage pregnancy rates dominating Sheffield news (BBC News, 2011). Whilst conducting the field work in Gleadless Valley residents we saw walking through the estate appeared reluctant to answer questions however workers in the local shop and commuters at the tram stop were friendly and willing to answer questions.
Le Corbusier’s influence
Both Gleadless Valley and Park Hill contain aspects of Le Corbusian ideology and modernist architecture of the time; however from observation we conclude that Park Hill highlights more similarities than Gleadless Valley in terms of organisation and collectivity. Park Hill clearly emphasises his work with the different elements of architectural design including concrete materials and organised social space. Comparatively, Gleadless Valley’s influences are more subtly taken on board to emphasise the relationship between nature and man, as explored in the ‘Radiant city’.
Interviews
The Gleadless Valley estate has received considerable media attention on both a local and national scale since its completion in the early 1960’s. Once in the media ‘spotlight’ as an example of great Utopian thinking and architectural brilliance, its reputation has deteriorated dramatically, especially in the past decade with reports of murders, multiple crimes and high teenage pregnancy rates dominating Sheffield news (BBC News, 2011). Whilst conducting the field work in Gleadless Valley residents we saw walking through the estate appeared reluctant to answer questions however workers in the local shop and commuters at the tram stop were friendly and willing to answer questions.
The neighbourhood has acquired a negative reputation amongst the locality with university students perceiving it to be ‘rough’ (BBC, 2009). ‘It is curious that the most frequently reviewed and well thought-out large housing estates are now the areas with the worst image’ (Wassenburg, 2004:223). The alarming rates of crime and anti-social behaviour have also come to the attention of businesses such as Tesco who refuse to conduct their home-delivery service in Gleadless Valley due to fears of driver safety (The Sheffield Star, 2012). Residents of stigmatised areas are often socially stigmatised due to where they live (Wassenburg, 2004:223), one interviewee commenting ‘as soon as you tell someone you’re from Gleadless, they judge you, you can just tell by their face. They think all estates are the same’.
In comparison to participants in Park Hill, one respondent had heard of Le Corbusier, however admitted ‘yeah I’ve heard that name but I’ll be honest, don’t know much about him’. Interviewees spoke positively about the estate and similar to Park Hill referred to characteristics of the estate influenced by Le Corbusier without necessarily knowing about him.
Representative of Corbusian ideology, two main points which appeared consistently throughout participants’ answers were the greenery of the area and the quality of the housing. The woodland areas and green spaces were spoken of positively, one interviewee stating how it’s ‘nice to go for a walk in the woods’. Le Corbusier believed that cities needed parks and green spaces in order to let the city breath fresh air (Le Gates & Stout, 1996), in relation to this, one interviewee noted ‘it’s good for the kids to have somewhere to play outside’. Le Corbusier wanted to improve the quality of housing for lower class working families and feedback from residents suggests this was achieved, ‘we have everything we need, it works’.
In comparison to participants in Park Hill, one respondent had heard of Le Corbusier, however admitted ‘yeah I’ve heard that name but I’ll be honest, don’t know much about him’. Interviewees spoke positively about the estate and similar to Park Hill referred to characteristics of the estate influenced by Le Corbusier without necessarily knowing about him.
Representative of Corbusian ideology, two main points which appeared consistently throughout participants’ answers were the greenery of the area and the quality of the housing. The woodland areas and green spaces were spoken of positively, one interviewee stating how it’s ‘nice to go for a walk in the woods’. Le Corbusier believed that cities needed parks and green spaces in order to let the city breath fresh air (Le Gates & Stout, 1996), in relation to this, one interviewee noted ‘it’s good for the kids to have somewhere to play outside’. Le Corbusier wanted to improve the quality of housing for lower class working families and feedback from residents suggests this was achieved, ‘we have everything we need, it works’.