Sheaf Square

Sheaf Square is a municipal square lying immediately east of the city centre of Sheffield, England. The sides of the square are lined with major buildings: Sheffield railway station, the Showroom Cinema, Sheffield Science Park, the early nineteenth century Howard Hotel, in addition to the site of the old Nelson Mandela Building, the former Sheffield Hallam University Students' Union, demolished to make way for a proposed mixed-use development, by CTP St. James, incorporating office and hotel space.

Sheaf House and Dyson House, demolished in 2005 and 2006 respectively, completed the square, which now has its southern edge much further back, lined by the station's car-park. Future plans include further development of the Sheffield Digital Campus, and an addition to the Transport Interchange on the site of Sheaf House.

The square lies over the confluence of the Porter Brook and River Sheaf. Pond Tilt Forge and its dam were constructed on the site in 1732, with Bamforth Dam following about 1780. The two were filled in 1856 to accommodate the proposed railway station[1]. With the post-World War II traffic plan for Sheffield, the site became a major intersection on Sheffield's inner ring road, with Sheaf Street, Pond Street, Howard Street and Paternoster Row meeting at a roundabout which was named Sheaf Square for the now subterranean river.

In 2006 work began to simplify the road system and create a primarily pedestrianised space with a water cascade and a steel sculpture, leading people from the station, up Howard Street and into the city centre to the side of the Square.

The gateway to Sheffield city centre situated to the side of Sheaf Square opened on 22 December 2006 with street performances and a fireworks display. The gateway contains seating, trees, effective lighting and two large water features, one of which includes The Cutting Edge steel sculpture. The new construction now acts as a 21st century gateway to the city and aims to give a good first impression of Sheffield to those arriving by train.

The maps below show the difference in the roadwork on Sheaf Square between 2002, 2006 and when completed in 2008:

• 
  Sheaf Square in 2002.
• 
  Sheaf Square in 2006

Sheaf House

For the nineteenth-century football ground, see Sheaf House (stadium).

Sheaf House during Sheaf Square's rebuilding

Sheaf House was a nine storey tower building by Sheaf Square, next to Sheffield railway station, in the centre of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. The building was formerly the Sheffield area headquarters of British Rail.

History

The building was situated on the former Pond Street Goods station, closed on 7 October 1961. Land was cleared during 1963 to make way for the new offices. Sheaf House was built with a reinforced concrete frame, finished with modern (at the time) metal and glass cladding. The building was opened in 1965 and housed 500 staff who had been transferred from the Midland Railway old offices in Norfolk House, Line control offices at Rotherham Westgate and Victoria were also closed and transferred to Sheaf House, becoming British Rail's Sheffield Division headquarters.

The building was demolished in late 2005 to make way for the redevelopment of Sheaf Square. This action featured on Channel 4's Demolition television programme.

Proposed Schemes

There had previously been several proposals for refurbishing the building, including transforming it into a 180 bedroom hotel. The latest proposal along with the adjacent Dyson House site is for a futuristic mixed use scheme designed by Make Architects (Ken Shuttleworth) designer of the Swiss Re (Gerkin) in London. The scheme is partial funded by EU regeneration grants and Yorkshire Forward as part of the Heart of the City projects masterplan to regenerate the area. The site forms part of the E-campus development currently underway on the site of the former Sheaf Baths site opposite the station and adjacent to the Pond Street bus station.

Dyson House

Dyson House from Sheffield Station.

Dyson House was a building which was part of Sheffield Hallam University's city campus in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The building was on Sheaf Square, next to the Sheffield Midland Station. Dyson House became unused by the university for several years, and was bought by Yorkshire Forward as part of the Heart of the city scheme funded by EU regeneration money and has now been demolished. The site along with the adjacent Sheaf House has a proposal for a new 200,000 sq ft (19,000 m²) office block, shops and 200 apartments in a mixed use scheme of a futuristic modern design by Make Architects (Ken Shuttleworth) designers of the acclaimed Swiss Re (Gerkin) building in London.

1 Sheaf Square

1 Sheaf Square is a building proposed in 2007 that would be built next to Sheaf Square, near Sheffield Midland Railway Station, Sheffield, England. It will replace Sheaf House and Dyson House, which were demolished in 2005 ahead of the refurbishment of Sheaf Square. It will be a 44 metre tall, 11-storey high hotel. It will have 200 beds and have 4 stars.

See Also

• Heart of the City - City centre regeneration scheme

External Links

• Sheffield City Council Live Traffic Cameras
  • Sheaf Square - Shoreham Street, Paternoster Row, Howard Street, Pond Street, Sheaf Street