Grenfell Tower

Grenfell Tower stands in North Kensington, West London, as a 24-storey residential block built in 1974. It formed part of the Lancaster West Estate and housed up to 600 people across 120 flats. The building followed Parker Morris standards, with floors measuring 22 by 22 metres and flexible layouts. Designed by Clifford Wearden and Associates, it featured precast insulated concrete blocks and ten exterior concrete columns. Nigel Whitbread, the original architect, described the design as strong and durable. The tower became known as the ‘Moroccan Tower’ because many early tenants came from the local Moroccan community. By 2017, 14 flats were leaseholder-owned under the Right to Buy scheme. A major refurbishment from 2015 to 2016 added new windows, cladding, and thermal insulation. The work cost £8.7 million and included changes to the podium levels, expanding spaces for a nursery, boxing club, and new flats. On 14 June 2017, a severe fire broke out, killing 72 people and gutting most of the tower. Emergency services fought the blaze for around 24 hours with hundreds of firefighters and 45 fire engines. After the fire, the tower was covered for forensic investigations. Plans now exist to demolish the building and replace it with a memorial to the victims.