Park Hill and Le Corbusier
The Park Hill Housing Estate was built in Sheffield between 1957 and 1960 as part of a slum clearance scheme that would create 995 flats to re-house more than 2,000 people (Hollow, 2010). Park Hill is located to the east of the train station between South Street and Duke Street. The topography of the land is a key feature of the development, the height of the building remaining constant however the number of floors ranging from four to thirteen storey’s. The topography of the land does not align with Le Corbusier’s ideology of using a level site, however the project was designed to illustrate uniformity, despite the hill face it is built on.
Structure
Architects Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith designed the Park Hill complex and it received Grade II listed building status. The complex has attracted much public interest for its Brutalist expression, the concrete framing and bare brick interior adopting an industrial, blockish aesthetic that mirrored the industrial ‘way of life’ (Harman and Minnis 2004:209). Le Corbusier’s Unité d'Habitation in France is often thought of as the initial inspiration of the Brutalist philosophy, where it is argued that ‘the moral crusade of Brutalism for a better habitat through built environment probably reaches its culmination at Park Hill’ (ibid). Le Corbusier encouraged this use of concrete in a block like fashion, which can be envisaged within the Sheffield estate.
Park Hill's colourful panels
Both Park Hill and the Unité d'Habitation also incorporate a concrete casing with colourful panels running across the exterior. Le Corbusier believed concrete to be more than just a material, but a liberator of modern urban dwellers (Minuchin, 2013). Le Corbusier aimed to explore the use of concrete in his design as an object used to reconfigure modern urban life, much like the design of Park Hill in Sheffield, both aiming to enhance social cohesion within the community and create a balance between the individual and the collective within a housing estate (Hollow, 2010).
Le Corbusier also believed the use of the right angle and gridded streets were essential in modern urban planning, however this was not possible within Park Hill due to the uneven landscape. Although unorthodox for the time the unique layout of the Park Hill complex allowed greater aspect than a conventional building and added to the appeal of the flats, contributing to its international popularity as being less repetitive than a usual housing scheme of that size (Architectural Review, 2011).
Le Corbusier also believed the use of the right angle and gridded streets were essential in modern urban planning, however this was not possible within Park Hill due to the uneven landscape. Although unorthodox for the time the unique layout of the Park Hill complex allowed greater aspect than a conventional building and added to the appeal of the flats, contributing to its international popularity as being less repetitive than a usual housing scheme of that size (Architectural Review, 2011).
Unité d'Habitation
Park Hill is often compared to Le Corbusier’s Unité d'Habitation in France, the buildings being similar both aesthetically and in relation to their social potential. Despite looking alike, Le Corbusier’s greatest influence can been seen through the idea of creating social capital brought about by the idea of ‘streets in the sky,’ each individual apartment being part of the collective. The Unité d'Habitation is a vertical garden city being almost self-sufficient, encompassing a shopping precinct and post office, with a roof top garden (Serenyi, 1967) where Park Hill also incorporates its own shop, pub, launderette and primary school. Park Hill has a density of 193 people per acre (Hollow, 2010) however Unité d'Habitation had a lower density of 139 people to an acre (Serenyi, 1967). Neither housing estate had the capacities that Le Corbusier had envisaged for the Radiant City, however both were built using a layering up of maisonettes as proposed by Le Corbusier, taking influence from the individual quarters of the Manastery of Ema.
Park Hill is often compared to Le Corbusier’s Unité d'Habitation in France, the buildings being similar both aesthetically and in relation to their social potential. Despite looking alike, Le Corbusier’s greatest influence can been seen through the idea of creating social capital brought about by the idea of ‘streets in the sky,’ each individual apartment being part of the collective. The Unité d'Habitation is a vertical garden city being almost self-sufficient, encompassing a shopping precinct and post office, with a roof top garden (Serenyi, 1967) where Park Hill also incorporates its own shop, pub, launderette and primary school. Park Hill has a density of 193 people per acre (Hollow, 2010) however Unité d'Habitation had a lower density of 139 people to an acre (Serenyi, 1967). Neither housing estate had the capacities that Le Corbusier had envisaged for the Radiant City, however both were built using a layering up of maisonettes as proposed by Le Corbusier, taking influence from the individual quarters of the Manastery of Ema.
Unité d'Habitation, Marseille, France Park Hill Estate, 'streets in the sky', Sheffield
Park Hill's green space
Nature
Park Hill was built with a generous provision of green space, as promised by Le Corbusian ideology. This was combined with limited traffic flows within the complex, where Le Corbusier believed old cities had become ‘self-consuming cancers,’ with the introduction of the automobile destroying the health and beauty of the city (Howard et al., 1977:265). Le Corbusier idealised an environment in which man, nature and machine could live in harmony where the green areas within Park Hill sought to bring nature back into the city. Womersley, the head of Sheffield’s Architect Office also aimed to separate traffic and pedestrians using a network of footbridges and decks, connecting Park Hill to the city center, however this was never completed (Architectural Review, 2011). This aligns with Le Corbusier’s ideal of reducing traffic within the city and connecting people with surrounding nature. Nevertheless, being an inner city estate, there was not as much park land available as Le Corbusier envisaged for his Radiant City, (Howard et al., 1977) describing the city as being in a park, rather than the park being in the city. This ideology is rather impossible in Sheffield, were there is rather little land available for extra green space, however it is one of the greenest cities in England (BBC News, 2012).
Le Corbusier’s influence
Hollow (2010:123) believes that much, ‘possibly too much’ of Park Hill Estate has been attributed to the influence of Le Corbusier, where he designed houses to be a ‘machine for living in.’ Park Hill was created not for the mechanical citizen, but for the social citizen illustrating a more Foucauldian philosophy, the resident having ‘adapted to society, whose pleasures and aspirations were to be realised in society’ (Rose, 1999:79 as cited in Hollow, 2010). Le Corbusier ‘rejected local aesthetics and sentiments in favour of universal scientific standards’ (Hollow, 2010:128) where too much can be made of his influence within Park Hill, which was not as much a mechanical toy, as a Foucauldian conflict between the social and individual. Le Corbusier however had many of the same visions in relation to creating a dualism between the individual and the collective.
Park Hill designed to encourage and regulate the actions of their residents. The deck system enforced within the complex was to ‘retain but institutionalize’ characteristics of the previous slums (Hollow, 2010:126). This encourages tenants to perform in a socially active way, where they could communicate as a collective. The idea was not only to create high quality social housing, but also to mirror the social cohesion of the previous slums. Le Corbusier held great influence in the design of Park Hill, however the estate is also dissimilar in many ways, where a Northern English city could never mirror his plans for either the Contemporary or Radiant City. Park Hill encouraged the idea of a collective society, however housing is not simply ‘a machine to be lived in,’ but the central element of a family unit in a world full of social negotiation.
Interviews
‘Social theory is all very well’ the Sheffield housing department stated, ‘but the opinions of the people who live there should be the criterion by which the success or failure of Park Hill must be measured’ (Hollow, 2010:134). While observing the Park Hill estate we managed to undertake some interviews with people in the local area, where the general consensus was against the once popular estate, one participant stating ‘you either love it or you hate it, I think most people hate it.’ None of the interviewees had heard of Le Corbusier however commented on his influences without realising the impact a French architect could have in Sheffield. Park Hill aimed to ‘provide more than mere accommodation’ (Crosby 1955) but a potential for a new social order within the working class, much like Le Corbusier’s ideologies. One interviewee however believed Park Hill to be ‘outdated and ugly.’ Developers Urban Splash are undertaking redevelopment of the site, with high end retail flats being sold from £90,000 (Urban Splash, 2013), promoting Park Hill as a vibrant living space rather than a desolate council estate.
Hollow (2010:123) believes that much, ‘possibly too much’ of Park Hill Estate has been attributed to the influence of Le Corbusier, where he designed houses to be a ‘machine for living in.’ Park Hill was created not for the mechanical citizen, but for the social citizen illustrating a more Foucauldian philosophy, the resident having ‘adapted to society, whose pleasures and aspirations were to be realised in society’ (Rose, 1999:79 as cited in Hollow, 2010). Le Corbusier ‘rejected local aesthetics and sentiments in favour of universal scientific standards’ (Hollow, 2010:128) where too much can be made of his influence within Park Hill, which was not as much a mechanical toy, as a Foucauldian conflict between the social and individual. Le Corbusier however had many of the same visions in relation to creating a dualism between the individual and the collective.
Park Hill designed to encourage and regulate the actions of their residents. The deck system enforced within the complex was to ‘retain but institutionalize’ characteristics of the previous slums (Hollow, 2010:126). This encourages tenants to perform in a socially active way, where they could communicate as a collective. The idea was not only to create high quality social housing, but also to mirror the social cohesion of the previous slums. Le Corbusier held great influence in the design of Park Hill, however the estate is also dissimilar in many ways, where a Northern English city could never mirror his plans for either the Contemporary or Radiant City. Park Hill encouraged the idea of a collective society, however housing is not simply ‘a machine to be lived in,’ but the central element of a family unit in a world full of social negotiation.
Interviews
‘Social theory is all very well’ the Sheffield housing department stated, ‘but the opinions of the people who live there should be the criterion by which the success or failure of Park Hill must be measured’ (Hollow, 2010:134). While observing the Park Hill estate we managed to undertake some interviews with people in the local area, where the general consensus was against the once popular estate, one participant stating ‘you either love it or you hate it, I think most people hate it.’ None of the interviewees had heard of Le Corbusier however commented on his influences without realising the impact a French architect could have in Sheffield. Park Hill aimed to ‘provide more than mere accommodation’ (Crosby 1955) but a potential for a new social order within the working class, much like Le Corbusier’s ideologies. One interviewee however believed Park Hill to be ‘outdated and ugly.’ Developers Urban Splash are undertaking redevelopment of the site, with high end retail flats being sold from £90,000 (Urban Splash, 2013), promoting Park Hill as a vibrant living space rather than a desolate council estate.
Then and now, Park Hill, 1957 Park Hill, 2013
Despite the more obvious aesthetical comparisons between Park Hill and Le Corbusian ideology, Park Hill was praised for its ‘streets in the sky,’ where inhabitants of the estate were part of a greater social collective, one interviewee stating that ‘Park Hill is a community.’ This social cohesion at a collective level was sought after by Le Corbusier, however there are limitations to his idea of the individual, where the flats are not seen as ‘machines to be lived in,’ but as the ‘home’ for many working class families (Hollow, 2010).
Despite the more obvious aesthetical comparisons between Park Hill and Le Corbusian ideology, Park Hill was praised for its ‘streets in the sky,’ where inhabitants of the estate were part of a greater social collective, one interviewee stating that ‘Park Hill is a community.’ This social cohesion at a collective level was sought after by Le Corbusier, however there are limitations to his idea of the individual, where the flats are not seen as ‘machines to be lived in,’ but as the ‘home’ for many working class families (Hollow, 2010).