HOWZAT

But Sheffield is learning. After a ferocious local political battle, last week outline planning permission was given to transform Park Hill, the massive (listed) postwar estate that glowers over the city centre, “Sheffield’s Guggenheim”, according to Common and Hydro.

“The council had difficulty getting into its head that something so gritty is in fact exactly what Sheffield’s about,” Common adds. Masterminded by Urban Splash, innovative, cocky-northern developers, its “Je t’aime, Park Hill” campaign, to a soundtrack of Pulp, captured perfectly Sheffield’s expertise in finding romance in the gutter.

On the drawing board, too, are buildings by a genuinely interesting list of architects such as O’Donnell & Tuomey, Mecanoo and Sauerbruch Hutton. Next year the Two Toms will appear in Big Art, Channel 4’s search for genuinely good public art, with their proposal to transform Sheffield’s cooling towers beside the M1.

“Imagine if James Turrell or Anish Kapoor got inside them? That’s what we want. Some ambition. We’re tired of groaning every time the scaffolding comes down.

“Latest news: Starbucks has finally hit Sheffield, ten years late, of course. Now it’s spreading like bloody bird flu.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BIENNALE

Cities, architecture and society

Ricky Burdett’s headline exhibition covers 16 cities in four continents from Bombay to London, each with its own problems. But will stats and photos make a compelling show?

The national pavilions

Belgium won in 2004. But Germany and the Netherlands came close. Ireland has been good recently, this year featuring its magnificent new wave of architects. Japan’s Surrealist Architecture sounds interesting; France is promising something Big Brother-ish; and the US mourns New Orleans. Britain kicks more ass, though, with Sheffield’s the Long Blondes performing at its party.

Your black horizon

Olafur Eliasson and David Adjaye’s light installation on San Lazzaro island. Good for chilling/dozing.

Lord Norm’s wife

Lady Foster curates C on Cities at the Italian Pavilion: new photography on cities from Andreas Gursky to rising talent such as Danwen Xing.

Can’t be bothered?

The Architecture Foundation’s Venice SuperBlog (architecturefoundation.org.uk) brings all the gossip — including just which Issey Miyake outfit Zaha will wear this year, etc — to your sofa.

Echo City, the British Pavilion, 10th International Architecture Exhibition, Venice Biennale, Sept 10-Nov 19, www.labiennale.org

Tom Dyckhoff, as co-juror, selected this year’s British Pavilion