Ronan Point | |
---|---|
General information | |
Status | Demolished |
Type | Tower block |
Location | Canning Town |
Town or city | London |
Coordinates | 51°30′46″N 0°01′17″E / 51.5129°N 0.0215°E |
Construction started | 1966 |
Completed | 1968 |
Demolished | 1986 |
Owner | Newham Council |
Technical details | |
Structural system | Large panel system |
Material | Prefabricated pre-cast concrete |
Floor count | 22 |
Design and construction | |
Main contractor | Taylor Woodrow Anglian |
Known for | Partial collapse following gas explosion |
Ronan Point was a 22-storey tower block in Canning Town in Newham, East London, that partially collapsed on 16 May 1968, only two months after it opened. A gas explosion blew out some load-bearing walls, causing the collapse of one entire corner of the building; four people died and 17 were injured. The nature of the failure (caused by both poor design and poor construction) led to a loss of public confidence in high-rise residential buildings, and major changes in British building regulations resulted.