Adjaye Associates has designed a memorial in Windrush Square located at the center of Brixton, South London to honor Cherry Groce, who was shot in her home by the Metropolitan Police in front of her children on September 28, 1985. Becoming paralyzed from the incident, Groce passed away in 2011, 35 years after the shooting.
Adjaye's vision for the memorial aims to create awareness and understanding of the life, strength, and experience of Sherry Groce and her family. Lee Lawrence, Cherry's son said, "not only will this memorial acknowledge the terrible injustice to my mum Cherry Groce but it will also act as a beacon of hope. It will symbolize that lessons can be learned and, more importantly, applied to create the positive change we need for the benefit of us all."
The memorial also acts as a pavilion for the community and builds on the existing features of Windrush Square, pulling from the angular forms of the surrounding landscaping and lawn areas. The single column represents Cherry's strength and the support of her community while the roof speaks to the protections and shelter of the Brixton community.
In a statement, Sir David Adjaye explained, "the construction of this memorial will speak to restorative justice and will symbolize that what matters to the community, matters to London and the whole world. This tragedy went too long in the public realm without acknowledgement and there is now renewed urgency and importance in finally facing this history."
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