New Providence Wharf | |
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![]() New Providence Wharf, viewed from North Greenwich (2021) | |
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General information | |
Status | Completed |
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(s) | Skidmore, Owings and Merrill |
Developer | Ballymore Group |
The New Providence Wharf is a residential development in the Blackwall district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, at the north end of the Blackwall Tunnel. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill [1] and is managed by Ballymore, a property development company.
It consists of a crescent-shaped block along Fairmont Avenue and Yabsley Street (New Providence Block A-E, with 559 apartments), two taller buildings - the Ontario Tower (256 apartments) and Charrington Tower (originally Providence Tower, 360 apartments) - the Michigan Building (72 apartments) and Columbia West (19 apartments). [2]
Early phases of the development were completed in 2005, and were built of materials that complied with the guidance that applied at that time. [3] However, following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, it emerged that the 19-floor New Providence Block A-E used the same aluminium composite material (ACM) for cladding. More than 500 households would, on average, have to pay over £4,000 each after freeholder Landor Residential, part of the Ballymore group, refused to cover the cost of recladding the block. [4] In February 2019, Ballymore offered residents a 20% contribution towards recladding costs, but gave them a two-week ultimatum to foot the rest of the £2.4m bill, [5] despite stated MHCLG policy that leaseholders should not to be made to pay to remediate dangerous cladding systems. [3] Ballymore also offered loans, but threatened to cancel its 20% contribution and add a 5% interest to the loan if any resident threatened the company with legal action. [5]
On 7 May 2021, the ACM-clad building, New Providence Block A-E, at New Providence Wharf suffered a major fire. [6] [7] The blaze affected parts of the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of Block D, and resulted in two people being taken to hospital, plus the evacuation of 42 people. [8] Ballymore said the ACM played no part in the blaze. [9]
A London Fire Brigade report about the fire revealed serious safety failings. It said the fire started in a fuse board in an 8th floor flat, and then spread outside via timber decking. A faulty ventilation system meant the building acted like a "broken chimney" while escape routes filled with smoke. LFB deputy commissioner Richard Mills said "The New Providence Wharf fire needs to be an urgent wake-up call to all building owners and managers. ... It is too late to wait for a fire to see if [fire safety solutions] work." [10]