London’s Isle of Dogs boasts two towering residential blocks that offer their residents stunning views of the city. The Landmark Pinnacle, completed in 2020, is the tallest residential building in Europe, standing at 784ft (239m) with 75 floors. Invicta House, built in the 1960s on the Isle of Thanet, is a 14-floor council-owned block located outside Margate. While the two blocks are significantly different, concerns have arisen about both towers.
Residential high-rises have faced greater scrutiny since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 in which 72 people lost their lives. Both The Landmark Pinnacle and Invicta House were designed to keep residents safe during a fire. The catastrophic event led to changes in high-rise emergency protocols, with new buildings over 59ft (18m) requiring two staircases. However, the older Invicta House remains a fire risk, particularly due to its combustible polystyrene insulation. Permission to remove the insulation was granted in March but the work has not yet begun.
Residents in both blocks share the reliance on lifts as the primary means of moving between floors. However, residents of Invicta House have had numerous instances of lifts breaking down, leaving some with limited mobility stranded. Furthermore, while Landmark Pinnacle has a “stay put” policy due to its design that prevents fire spreading between floors, residents themselves have been unsure what to do when a fire alarm sounds, resulting in moments of panic
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