Sheffield City regeneration
Over the last 20 years, Sheffield has undergone a startling metamorphosis through a programme of regeneration orchestrated by the forward thinking City Council and Interserve has made a significant contribution to the changing face of the city.
Our involvement began with the construction of two landmark leisure projects, the 20,000-seater Don Valley Stadium and the Sheffield International Arena, the latter a premier venue for the 1991 World Student Games. This was part of Sheffield’s initiative to make their city a world centre of sporting excellence as the indigenous steel industry declined.
In the mid '90s the Council embarked on an ambitious regeneration plan with the Peace Gardens. This first phase of the "Heart of the City" project involved creation of a public area, as an amphitheatre in front of the imposing Town Hall, with its centrepiece the Millennium water feature complete with 89 water jets. The plan to revitalise the city centre involved the creation of a journey - one would begin the walk at the train station, along Hallam Street, through two landmark buildings, on into the Peace Gardens and thus to the Town Hall.
The two buildings in question were designed to be both eye-catching and serve a very special purpose for the people of Sheffield. The first, the Millennium Gallery, houses the Hawley Collection of Sheffield hand tools and the Ruskin Collection, dedicated to the great Victorian philosopher and artist John Ruskin.
The Winter Gardens is one of the most important temperate plant houses built in the UK in the last 100 years and links from the Gallery, providing a green sanctuary for the people of Sheffield to escape the city's bustle. This sustainable building comprises a timber framed Glulam structure, creating a spectacular wide open space to house the sub-tropical vegetation.
We have not only been instrumental in shaping Sheffield’s public areas, but have also provided education facilities through Sheffield Schools PFI, where we designed, built and now run six schools.
We also constructed the English Institute of Sport, a national centre of sporting excellence providing an indoor athletics area incorporating running track and associated athletics infield, plus facilities for judo, table tennis, badminton, netball, boxing and multi-sports.
More recently, we have been involved in further regeneration of the city’s public areas with the Sheaf Square and Howard Street redevelopment that has continued our partnership with the Council in enhancing the urban environment for the people of Sheffield.
In summary, the City of Sheffield story of regeneration - economic, social and cultural – is one of several chapters. In each and every one of which Interserve has played its part.
