david adjaye unveils london memorial to celebrate the life of cherry groce

sir david adjaye unveils a memorial pavilion to honor the life, experiences, and death of cherry groce, an innocent woman shot by police in her london home in 1985. the design of the memorial now stands as a loving and didactic reminder of the challenges faced by the victim and her family alongside the admitted failures of the police. while the unjust 1985 shooting had sparked two days of uprisings in brixton, sir david adjaye’s proposal had been timely — unveiled in the summer of 2020 during a time of similar unrest across the united states and 35 years after the event.

images courtesy of adjaye associates

sir david and adjaye associates realize the cherry groce memorial as a permanent place of reflection and inspiration for the public to connect with the full concept of justice and reconciliation. cherry groce was shot in her home during a mistaken police raid. officers were in search for her son but had not been informed that he was no longer wanted by police. there were four children on the property including another son, then 11-year old lee lawrence. BBC reports that he ‘had fallen asleep in his mother’s room and was awoken by a loud noise. she went to investigate but moments later he heard a gunshot.’

the shot left cherry groce paralyzed from the chest down for 26 years before her death in 2011. a jury inquest in 2014 found that the police failure and shooting contributed to her death, directly caused by kidney failure, while metal fragments from the bullet were still lodged into her spine. the shooter, inspector douglas lovelock, stood trial in 1987. although he was charged with inflicting unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm, he was ultimately acquitted.

david adjaye introduces the cherry groce memorial pavilion to be used by the community, as a canopy that suggests protection and shelter. a pillar to strength and support, the triangular geometries of the pavilion recall the mountains of west africa and jamaica in cherry’s roots. together, these elements combine to create a memorial that is outward-looking and optimistic, as cherry was and the community continues to be. her son, lee lawrence, now runs a disabled taxi service, is an inspirational speaker, social change advocate, and founder of the organization behind the memorial.