| New Providence Wharf | |
| Location: | 1 Fairmont Avenue Tower Hamlets, London |
| Coordinates: | 51.5061°N -0.0047°W |
| Status: | Completed |
| Building Type: | Residential |
| Architect: | 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]
On 26 August 2024, a fire broke out on the 25th floor of Charrington Tower, destroying half of an apartment and its balcony.[11]