4.6 Kelham Island Quarter
Vision
Kelham island will develop into a vibrant, mixed use neighbourhood
which represents and celebrates its riverside location and the industrial
heritage that made Sheffield an international brand.
The river will become the heart of the Kelham Island community,
providing leisure, employment and educational facilities. This will
focus around the activity of the Kelham Island Museum, which offers
a valuable insight into industrial Sheffield.
The historic identity of the quarter will be enhanced with the
refurbishment of the early Victorian industrial buildings and warehouses.
Innovative adaptive reuse schemes will see these important buildings
sensitively converted to mixed residential and commercial use.
Sitting alongside adapted historic buildings will be new mixed
use developments of exemplary and innovative design standards. Throughout
the quarter, active ground level uses such as shops or cafes will
generate street life and reinforce a feeling of community in Kelham
Island by providing places for people to meet and socialise.
The river will provide the opportunity for a variety of unique
public spaces. This will include riverside parks, walkways and terraces
which will connect to the Riverside Quarter and Victoria Quays.
A new Kelham Island Park will also be created on the river by the
weir. This will be an urban oasis and a haven for residents, visitors
and wildlife.
A network of urban blocks will take advantage of the existing courtyard
industrial buildings. These urban blocks will be connected by a
series of riverside walkways and pedestrian footpaths which will
culminate at Kelham Island Park.
Some of the larger metal working firms may choose to move to more
modern premises outside the quarter. The remaining industry will
eventually be consolidated on the western edge of the quarter, allowing
for the evolution of a strong residential and mixed use neighbourhood
in the east of the quarter. This will become integrated with the
new mixed use development in the Riverside Quarter.
Smaller enterprises based on traditional skills may continue to
operate alongside new uses. Some may benefit from moving closer
to the Kelham Island Museum, where they can receive the direct custom
of visitors. Following the lead of projects such as the Sheffield
Design Studio, design based companies and creative industries will
also be attracted to Kelham Island. Many will be able to establish
their premises in adapted industrial buildings.
The creation of this urban community will help re-establish the
River Don as a focus and functional part of the city. The exemplary
reuse of industrial buildings will preserve the origins of the city,
while the Kelham Island Quarter develops into a diverse and vibrant
mixed use area in a delightful conservation area setting.
Comparator projects
| The Calls, Leeds
Industrial warehouses on the river Aire have been converted
to mixed use to create a vibrant urban quarter. The addition
of balconies and terraces offered the opportunity to exploit
the river by creating attractive outdoor areas for cafes,
bars and restaurants or private garden spaces for residential
units. Kelham Island has the potential to become a vibrant
riverside quarter whilst preserving Sheffield’s industrial
heritage by exploiting the adaptability of its warehouses
and its strong relationship with the river Don. |
 |
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