Eight years after a tragic fire broke out, Grenfell Tower still stands in North Kensington, acting as a stark reminder of the 72 people who were killed.
Now, a new Netflix documentary has gone into granular detail about the fire, with Grenfell: Uncovered looking into the factors that led to the fateful event on 14 June.
It took 60 hours for the fire to be fully extinguished. While the main building itself is made of concrete, the building’s exterior was clad in aluminium composite material (ACM) with polyethylene (PE) at its core. PE is highly flammable, which led to the quick spread of the fire.
The building is now badly damaged, with a 2020 report saying some of the disrepair to the upper levels of the tower had been exacerbated by the weather conditions.
In 2018, in the run-up to the first anniversary, the top few floors of the tower had a sign added; a large green heart, which has come to be representative of Grenfell, as well as the statement, Grenfell: Forever in Our Hearts
However, the government has since announced new plans for the tower block – which have not necessarily been warmly received by survivors or by those who lost loved ones in the fire.
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Cosmopolitan UK speaks to Jackie and Bernie Bernard, who lost their brother Ray to the Grenfell fire, as well as Grenfell: Uncovered documentary maker Olaide Sadiq, about future plans for Grenfell.
Is Grenfell Tower being demolished?
In February this year, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner confirmed plans to demolish Grenfell Tower.
In a statement, the government said they had consulted independent expert advice, with engineers advising “it is not practicable to retain many of the floors of the building in place as part of a memorial that must last in perpetuity”.
Because of this, the Deputy Prime Minister has concluded “ that it would not be fair to keep some floors of the building that are significant to some families, whilst not being able to do so for others”.
It will now take two years for the tower to be deconstructed, with the government saying this will be done in a “careful and sensitive way”.
However, this has not been welcomed by everyone in the community. Speaking to Cosmopolitan UK, Bernie explained: “Personally, I think it’s an insult.
“I think everybody understands the tower has to come down, but it doesn't have to come down to ground level.
“I'm saying is at least keep the main reception intact so that we have a place where we can go to grieve the people that were cremated in that building. The plans aren’t something the bereaved have welcomed.”
Olaide Sadiq, who attended the most recent Grenfell memorial earlier this month, agreed the mood was sombre amongst those who are part of the community.
“I think there was a there was a large shock within the community when they decided that's what they were doing with the tower,” she tells Cosmopolitan UK.
“While making the documentary, a lot of our contributors told us they go to the tower regularly. It’s a second grave site for them for when they want to pay their respects to people they’ve lost.
“There’s an understanding that perhaps the building can’t remain 24 storeys high, but when the tower is brought down to ground level, it’s gone – and if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.”
What will the Grenfell Memorial look like?
A report by the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission said construction of a permanent memorial to those affected by the Grenfell fire could begin as early as 2026.
The commission, which is comprised of of representatives of the bereaved, survivors, local residents as well as two independent co-chairs, was created in order to ensure the community was at the heart of decisions on the long-term future of the site.
Plans are thought to include a garden, monument and space for grieving.
The commission said: "Everyone agrees that if Grenfell Tower comes down, it should be dismantled with care and respect, and in a way that honours our loved ones who were taken from us."
Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper’s Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
