What's Here

Gillett Square is bordered by a rich mix of entreprenuerial businesses, social enterprises and cultural organisations. 

To the South, facing directly onto the square, 8 small permanent market pods house a mix of food and other services. Behind them, the Bradbury Street Workspace hosts an impressive array of creative & social organisations. All organisations here are tenants of HCD - follow the links on the left for more information about the individual businesses.

On the Western edge is the Dalston Culture House, home to the world renowned Vortex Jazz Club & two studio spaces. This space is also managed by HCD. For details about HCD's workspaces, please visit http://www.hced.co.uk/

The Northern side is home to Stamford Works. The Eastern edge holds the entrance from Kingsland Road.

Last but not least, the square space itself is shaped each day by the people who come here; HCD manages a programme of activities and events, and provides equipment and services to the space

Gillett Square was developed as a liberated public space bordered by Hackney Co-operative Developments commercial premises. Working with Hawkins/Brown Architects we rehabilitated derelict housing and combined elements of new build in order to provide Dalston with offices, workshops and retail facilities for local businesses as well as arts and voluntary organisations, opening them up to the community by placing them around this highly active central square.

Dalston Town Centre is home to a wide variety of cutting edge fashion designers, stylists, media and creative industries, independent boutiques, the finest international cuisine you will find in the Capital, arts venues and a thriving night-time economy. 

Gillett Square is home to HCD's Dalston Culture House. Dalston Culture House is a stunning four storey cultural centre and arts workspace, housing the world famous Vortex Jazz Club along with therapeutic arts group Studio Upstairs and acclaimed fabric designers Circle Line and a ground floor cafe & bar opens directly onto Gillett Square.

Hackney Co-operative Develops also operates 10 small trading units to the South side of Gillett Square which provide an ideal location to test new businesses. The design of these versatile units was based on European newsstands and these won the Design Week Award for 2000 and a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) small building award.