REFRAMING PARKHILL

摘要

Sheffield grew up around producing steel, in the 18th century knives and tools, in the 19th century heavy industry, with a high population of low-paid but skilled manual workers. Social provision was important from early on, and before the 20th century, the city boasted the best collection of board schools outside London. In the era of slum clearance and provision of new houses following the Second World War, heavily bombed Sheffield was again at the forefront, and Park Hill marked the peak performance of Sheffield's City Architect's Office as run by J Lewis Womersley, regarded by Nikolaus Pevsner as an outfit of national importance.1 Public service for local authorities was then viewed not purely as altruistic — building the Welfare State - but also as exciting and progressive.