Authors: Emily J. Hogg , & Bryan Yazell
Published: ASAP/Journal (2023)
In 2022, five years after the fire that killed seventy-two people, Grenfell Tower still stands in West London, scaffolded, covered with plastic, and surrounded by hoarding. The hoarding, intended to be a temporary protective measure while a decision was taken on whether to demolish the Tower, has become the site of collective commemoration: the impermanent structure displays messages, photos, and artworks, including a community-created mosaic, which commemorate those who died and confront the systemic injustice that caused the fire to become so destructive. Renovation of the building, which was owned by the local government, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and was predominately home to social housing tenants, did not meet legal standards. The materials used fed rather than hampered the fire, and residents state that a series of warnings they made about fire safety before the disaster were ignored.