3.2 Urban Form and City Skyline

Reforming Streetscapes and Creating Gateways A Case Study - Tenter Street

The potential for transformation of Sheffield’s urban realm is explored in this three dimensional study.

Tenter Street was selected for this exercise as it is a principle gateway space and movement corridor into the city centre, yet presently suffers from a poor quality urban realm and lack of identity.

Through an analysis of the existing streetscape, propositions for change have been developed which aim to:

• foster a sense of arrival into the city centre by introducing landmark buildings at gateway sites and using urban form to create a gateway sequence;
  
• strengthen linkages to the city centre, particularly for pedestrians;
  
• transform an inhospitable and road-dominated environment into an attractive and vibrant streetscape;
  
• create a distinct identity for this important space;
  
• effect transitions between different quarters;
  
• improve the legibility of the urban environment;
  
• improve pedestrian amenity;
  
• ultimately increase street life and activity.

The urban form models of the existing streetscape and the development proposition show how this can be achieved through built form - both new and recycling of existing.

Tenter Street
Tenter Street is the principal gateway to the city centre from the northwest.

Presently, Tenter Street suffers from a neglected image. There is a lack of consistency in its built form and a poor quality urban realm. The width of the street, as well as the volume of traffic carried, creates a sense of severance between St.Vincent’s and the city centre or the Cathedral Quarter.

Surface carparks and gap sites significantly detract from the appearance of the western side of the street and represent underused space in the city centre.

On the eastern side of the street the 1960s and 1970s office towers present a cold and hostile image and make no contribution to streetscape activity or amenity.

The potential benefit from visual or physical connections from Tenter Street to the many heritage places in this area has not been considered.

Tenter Street Proposition

The vision for Tenter Street transforms this street into a metropolitan gateway. Tenter Street becomes an activity spine characterised by an attractive streetscape environment and high quality development.

New landmark buildings at the northern and southern entry to Tenter Street define this gateway space and serve as focal points. Transitional elements lead from these entry points into Tenter Street and new, stronger built form along the length of the street helps to define this space.

A new tower marks the southern axis of Tenter Street, with the curved façade of the car showroom defining the transition into this gateway space from Broad Lane.

A tower also serves as a landmark at the northern axis. The realignment of Corporation Street at the base of this building provides a link from the northern ring road into a new junction at West Bar. Here lower level buildings also serve as transitional elements into Tenter Street, including the landmark historic Fire Museum. On the western edge of Tenter Street mixed use developments have replaced undeveloped land and open lot carparking.

The lower levels of these buildings respond to the scale of development within the St. Vincent’s Quarter, beyond the Tenter Street frontage. At ground level they provide a continuity of built form and activity to the streetscape.

The upper levels rising above define the western side of the street and create a strength of built form to signify Tenter Street as a gateway to the city centre. The overall height of these buildings responds to the height of buildings on the opposite side of Tenter Street and serves to create a sense of enclosure.

With a striking yet considered design, these contemporary interventions could effect a modern transition to the historic urban fabric of the St.Vincent’s Quarter. By placing the towers gable end to street, visual links with adjacent heritage areas of the St.Vincent’s and Cathedral Quarters remain. The original street and lane layout is retained and reinforced, some as traffic routes and others as pedestrianised footways.

At ground level they could contribute a variety of activities to the streetscape such as small businesses, shops, local services, cafes etc. The upper levels of these buildings have a range of potential uses including residential or office.

Prominent buildings showing visible signs of disrepair such as the offices on the eastern side of the street and the Police Headquarters should receive an external facelift and incorporate a variety of activities at street level.

A multi storey carpark has replaced open parking lots and consolidated parking onto one site.

Potential public realm details to complement urban form interventions include:

• boulevard planting on the sunny eastern side of the street to add to the sense of Tenter Street being an arrival space.
  
• further reduction of the carriageway width to allow street cafes and improvements to pedestrian amenity.
  
• traffic calming measures and pedestrian controlled crossing points to give greater ease of pedestrian movement and permeability between the St. Vincent’s and Cathedral Quarters.

Historic buildings have a significant contribution to fostering a sense of neighbourhood around Tenter Street:

• the community focus of St. Vincent’s Roman Catholic Church, and associated buildings, is retained as a focus for the new residential and business communities along the Tenter Street spine or in the St. Vincent’s Quarter.
  
• the original fabric of nineteenth century workshops and housing between Hollis Croft and Garden Street is retained. Where these buildings no longer perform an industrial function, adaptive re-use schemes have ensured their restoration.
  
• the Fire Museum is conserved and enhanced as a significant heritage site.
  
• the 1809s housing on Hawley Street and Townhead Street is retained as an early example of municipal housing.

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