The seating in Tudor Square has been replaced, thanks to the Friends of Sheffield City Centre. The FoSCC secured £24,000 in grant funding from the National Lottery Awards for All and the JG Graves Trust for the Tudor Square Restoration Project.
The original artisan oak seating installed in the four pebble planters in 2010 has been in a state of disrepair for several years. Some sections had been removed for safety reasons.
The oak has been replaced with engineered wood decking boards made by Cladco out of recycled hard wood fibre from sustainable sources and recycled plastic.
The decking boards have been expertly adapted using traditional construction methods by Daniel Aitken and his team from The Joinery Workshop in Deepcar. Each slat has been individually cut and shaped to meet the curvature of each seating area which are all unique.
Daniel said “This has been one of the toughest jobs we have tackled. It has been fraught with problems in adapting the decking boards for this challenging seating area. But we have learnt a lot and the engineered wood is hard wearing and low maintenance. We are really pleased with the results and hope that everyone enjoys using them. They will last so much longer than natural wood.”
As part of the Tudor Square Restoration Project the planting will also so be updated and improved to ensure it is environmentally sustainable to meet the changing climate conditions. The FoSCC are delighted that Green Estate are supporting the project with their expertise. Owen Hayman will be working with the City Centre horticulturalists in the coming months to deliver their vision for the area.
Notes:
Tudor Square is an important open space for cultural activity in the theatre district and a gateway to the city. There are 27,000 residents living within a 1.2km radius of the square. The increase in city centre residents will continue over the coming years with 10,000 more moving in centrally. During the World Snooker Championships 40,000 people enjoy the space. During DocFest the box office is located here alongside events for the 3,500 delegates from around the world.
The old oak seating is being repurposed by artisan furniture maker Finbarr Lucas based at Sheffield Manor Lodge.
Friends of Sheffield City Centre is a community group set up to support the work and activities of Sheffield City Council’s gardens and public realm for the benefit of the local community, businesses and visitors.