Sculpture, water features and lighting combine to create a dramatic entrance into Sheffield City
Sheaf Square is a new public space situated outside Sheffield Railway Station in the UK. Previously used as a car park and surrounded by a major road network, Sheaf Square has been redeveloped as part of Sheffield’s masterplan for the city centre.
Located on the subterranean confluence of the river Sheaf and the Porter Brook, the redevelopment of Sheaf Square has provided Sheffield with a world-class entrance into the city. The space forms part of a spectacular walk, the emerging ‘Gold Route’, which takes visitors from the Station through a series of exciting new developments, each with their own distinctive lighting, public art and water features, to the city centre.
Winner of the coveted Project of the Year Award in the 2006 National Rail Awards, and most recently the recipient of The Great Place Award 2009 from the Academy of Urbanism, Sheaf Square contains the spectacular Cutting Edge Sculpture, which combines the city’s famous resource – steel – with water and light to create a memorable first impression.
Weighing approximately 80 tonnes, the Cutting Edge Sculpture is one of the largest stainless steel sculptures in the UK and was fabricated by Jordan Engineering.
Another stand-out feature of the design is the fountains, which produce a dramatic cascade of water and utilise noise and light to give the plaza an exciting atmosphere. The space also takes on a completely different feel at night due to the use of different coloured lighting around the paving, sculpture and water feature.
Concealed along the foot of the lowest cascade is a custom-designed and manufactured ‘cold mist’ system that produces clouds of virtual steam at preset intervals during the evening.
The entire fountain mechanics are concealed in plant rooms located below the cascade pools, with stainless steel pipe work utilised throughout the plant rooms. Water quality is crucial for all water features and as such, water is constantly filtered, treated and monitored with an automatic system in the plant room, utilising chlorination, UV and Ozone sterilisation systems to ensure it is clean and safe.
Incorporating water features, art installations and seating areas, Sheaf Square is a contemporary public space and an award-winning landscape project.
Contact
Sheffield City Council
Ph: (0114) 272 6444
Web: www.sheffield.gov.uk
Project Particulars
Client: Sheffield City Council
Design: AECOM (EDAW) and Regeneration Projects Design Team (RPDT)
Lighting Consultants: Sutton Vane Associates
Cutting Edge Sculpture: Jordan Engineering
Water Features: Ocmis
Stonemason: Vetter UK
