Dalston Square was originally the site of a former hippodrome and music hall, which opened in 1886 under the name "Dalston Circus". After a series of name changes, the curtain went down on live theatre in 1920 when the venue was changed into a cinema. It operated successfully under a variety of names, the last of which - the Gaumont Theatre - is now remembered in the name of one of the residential towers, until 1960. [2] After a brief stint as a warehouse and car sale room, the building once again opened its doors to entertainment audiences when, in 1966 it was reopened as the Four Aces Club a music and recreational space dedicated to celebrating Afro Caribbean music. It was famous for its Reggae, Roots, Soul and R&B and hosted acts The Ronettes, Desmond Dekker and Ben E. King. In the 1980s, it changed hands again and became the Labyrinth nightclub [3] It closed its doors for good in 1998 and, despite objections from the local community and a number of conservation organisations, was demolished in 2007. [4]
Located in Dalston Square is the Dalston C. L. R. James Library, which was the first library to open in Hackney for 20 years.[5]
In 2016, Telford Homes redeveloped the Holy Trinity School located at the southeastern edge of Dalston Square into a mixed building called "The Vibe" which incorporates a bigger school as well as 101 flats.[6][7]
References
^Barratt Homes Dalston Square Microsite (archived copy on archive.org), "Dalston Square"