New Providence Wharf facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Providence Wharf |
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New Providence Wharf, viewed from North Greenwich (2021)
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Residential |
| Location | 1 Fairmont Avenue Tower Hamlets, London |
| Coordinates | 51°30′22″N 0°0′17″W / 51.50611°N 0.00472°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
| Developer | Ballymore Group |
The New Providence Wharf is a large group of homes in Blackwall, a part of London. It is located near the north end of the Blackwall Tunnel. This big housing area was designed by a company called Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. It is managed by Ballymore, a company that builds properties.
What is New Providence Wharf?
New Providence Wharf is made up of several buildings. There is a curved building along Fairmont Avenue and Yabsley Street. This part is called New Providence Block A-E and has 559 apartments. There are also two taller buildings, the Ontario Tower and Charrington Tower. The Ontario Tower has 256 apartments, and the Charrington Tower has 360 apartments. Two smaller buildings are the Michigan Building with 72 apartments and Columbia West with 19 apartments.
Fire Safety Concerns
The first parts of New Providence Wharf were finished in 2005. They were built using materials that met the safety rules at that time. However, after a very serious fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017, people started checking other buildings. It was found that the 19-floor New Providence Block A-E used a material called aluminium composite material (ACM) on its outside walls. This material was similar to what was on Grenfell Tower.
This meant that the outside of the building needed to be replaced to make it safer. The company managing the building, Ballymore, offered to help pay for some of the repairs. They also offered loans to residents. The government's housing department stated that people living in the homes should not have to pay for fixing dangerous cladding.
May 2021 Fire
On May 7, 2021, a fire broke out at New Providence Block A-E. This was the building with the ACM cladding. The fire affected parts of the 8th, 9th, and 10th floors of Block D. Two people had to go to the hospital, and 42 people were safely moved out of the building. The company Ballymore said the ACM cladding did not cause the fire.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) investigated the fire. Their report showed some serious safety problems. The fire started in an electrical box on the 8th floor. It then spread outside because of wooden decking. The building's ventilation system did not work correctly. This made the building act like a "broken chimney," filling the escape routes with smoke.
A deputy commissioner from the LFB, Richard Mills, said that the New Providence Wharf fire should be a warning. He said that all building owners and managers need to check their fire safety plans. He stressed that it is important to make sure fire safety solutions work before a fire happens.
