4.2 Cathedral Quarter

Vision

The layers of Sheffield’s history and evolution will be revealed in the Cathedral Quarter, as a unique and special part of the city centre.

Like the Sheffield of medieval times, the focus of the quarter will be the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul and its square – a vibrant space in the commercial heart of the city.

Exploring the historic interior of the quarter will reveal an intricate network of cobblestone laneways and the fine Georgian terraces of Paradise Square. With its streets and spaces given a pedestrian focus, the quarter will offer quiet refuge from the bustling city centre. Here it will really be possible to imagine what Sheffield must have been like 200 or even 400 years ago.

Amongst these carefully conserved historic buildings and streetscapes, a mix of professional, business and residential activities could be successfully achieved. Many of the Georgian terraces will be converted back to residential use, while others will accommodate small offices or businesses.

With its proximity to the Law Courts on West Bar, the quarter will continue to grow as the legal district of Sheffield. A new public space will be introduced on West Bar at the Law Courts to strengthen the relationship between the established legal quarter in Cathedral and the new legal quarter at Riverside.

The Cathedral Quarter will remain well preserved as the principal historic precinct of the city. However, well considered contemporary developments will occasionally add interest to the streetscapes.

The western and northern edges of the quarter, along Tenter Street and West Bar, will develop a dramatically different character to that of its interior. Emerging as high profile office precincts, larger businesses will chose to relocate here, where expansion is possible outside the confines of the conservation precinct.

The principal thoroughfares through the quarter – Campo Lane, Bank Street and Paradise Street - will provide strong connections to West Bar and the river, the city centre and Castlegate. In time, Cathedral will be transformed into a pedestrian enclave, assisted by the direct access to efficient bus and tram networks running through the quarter and along its periphery.

Within this environment, the life and activity of the quarter will prosper and it will be renowned for its eclectic array of small speciality shops, cafes or galleries. Residents and visitors alike will be attracted to this unique environment.

Comparator projects

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin Sitting within a Georgian streetscape, this highly contemporary building achieves a balance between design innovation and respect of its context to produce a striking result. The façade treatment, openings and materials are dramatically different to those of this historic streetscape, however its elegant design carefully responds to the scale of the existing buildings and their relationship with the street. This example shows how a contemporary intervention could be intorudced into the Cathedral Quarter without having a negative impact on its historic character.

Grainger Town, Newcastle Grainger Town has been revitalised through the careful restoration of its historic buildings and the reintroduction of mixed uses. Adding life and activity to the streets are co-ordinated public realm upgrades and improved access for pedestrians and cyclists. Although larger in scale than the Cathedral Quarter, Grainger Town provides a good example of how historic buildings can be adaptively re-used to create an environment of distinct character and charm.

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