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26/05/2008
Construction work has now started on a £12m mixed use riverside scheme, which is set to revitalise a key gateway site in Sheffield.
Designed by Cartwright Pickard Architects and developed by Urban i, the I Quarter will provide residential, retail and office accommodation, and will involve construction of a landmark 16-storey tower, two new five-storey apartment buildings, refurbishment of a four-storey townhouse and the conversion of the Grade II listed Castle House.
The scheme also includes a new riverside walkway, a landscaped public space at the centre of the site, and the restoration of a ‘crucible stack’ – a historically significant listed monument.
The brownfield site, which has street frontages onto Blonk Street and Lady’s Bridge, and faces the River Don, was previously used for retail and warehousing. The three-storey brick-built Castle House is being retained and converted into offices with a café bar and restaurant on the ground floor.
Retail units will be located in the base of the spectacular fully glazed tower, and the apartments above will have the benefit of a communal roof terrace space. 122 one and two-bed apartments in total will be provided and one of the new blocks will be built around a landscaped courtyard.
“The aim of this scheme is to set new standards for design excellence and high quality construction in Sheffield”, said Darryl Barker, Director of Urban i. “We want to break the mould for the city and take architectural design to a new level. This is a key regeneration site – our vision is for a landmark, high specification development with the striking tower building offering a high specification alternative for city centre living.”
Peter Cartwright, a Director of Cartwright Pickard Architects, said, “Our intention is to create a variety of distinctly contemporary buildings. The form and position of the tower will be a strong urban landmark, and it will have its own clear identity. We will also be bringing a listed building and an important local monument back to life.”
All the homes have been designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and to exceed current Building Regulations. The new apartment blocks will use a palette of high quality brick, timber and zinc claddings, which were selected for ease of maintenance, longevity, and to contrast with the rich colours of the nineteenth century listed buildings. There will also be a band of uninterrupted glazing around the perimeter of the ground floor of each block to add interest at street level.
The Sheffield scheme is Cartwright Pickard’s third for the developer – a headquarters office development and a new apartments building, both in Doncaster, are also in progress.
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