Dalston’s cultural heritage celebrated with launch of revamped Dalston Square
An improved Dalston Square was launched for the local community last weekend
Dalston Square has been transformed, with new play areas for children, seating areas and planting, designed to make the square more sociable, accessible and comfortable.
Local residents gathered in the square on Saturday (6 September) to celebrate Hackney Council’s transformative work with local architect muf to improve the public space, and reconnect its rich cultural history with everyday community life.
A new memorial garden, in a previously underused part of the square, is dedicated to the victims and the survivors of the 1981 New Cross Fire. It was championed by club-owner, entrepreneur and music producer Sir Charles Collins, whose son died in the fire, and who was a key campaigner for justice for the victims.
A new exhibition space, to celebrate the contributions to the area of music venues such as the Four Aces Club, the 007 Sun Valley Club, the Hideaway, Cubies, Oasis and Roseberry’s, will also be unveiled on Saturday 13 September, to help visitors and residents better understand the rich cultural history of the town centre.
Dalston Square was created in 2009 as part of building the Dalston Junction Overground station. Government funding is delivering improvements in Dalston Square and Gillett Square, both of which are integral not only to the physical town centre, but to its cultural and social fabric. Upgrades to Gillett Square, one of the first of former London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s 100 new public squares, are also under way, which includes rebuilding the staging area.
The improvements were funded through the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and have been led by muf architecture/art, alongside key local partners, with engagement including schools, youth hubs, businesses, and residents’ groups. They have been shaped in collaboration with local residents and organisations, as set out in the Dalston Plan, the Council’s vision for the next 15 years, based on the views put forward by more than 5,000 local people.
Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing Management and Regeneration, Councillor Guy Nicholson, said: “Dalston is a neighbourhood where culture, creativity, commerce and community come together to make a unique town centre, and this is something the Council continues to celebrate and prioritise. These projects place the town centre’s identity front and centre, and give residents the spaces that reflect Dalston’s pride in its past and optimism and ambition for its future.”
An event on Saturday (13 September) will celebrate the site’s musical heritage. Co-designed with the Older Generation, Younger Generation organisation, who have led on shaping the heritage elements of the square, a panel will be unveiled at the event, charting the history of the 19th century Dalston theatre up until its demolition.
Musical history will be further celebrated with the unveiling of the first 10 of 150 engraved stones, as well as an award ceremony, honouring the contributions of those who defined Dalston’s musical past. The day will feature a performance by Black Slate, an act with strong links to several of the entertainment venues on the site, and one of Hackney’s most revered reggae bands.
Photos c/o Sean Pollock and Mark Sepple