History

Originally built in 1866 as a four-storey brick factory for artists' materials manufacturer Reeves and Sons Ltd, the building first changed its internal operations to support mass school supply production following the Education Act of 1870. The first major structural expansion occurred in 1913 when architects John Hamilton & Son designed and added a fifth level (the fourth floor) to the factory structure.

The building's purpose shifted from art manufacturing after Reeves and Sons vacated the premises in 1946. For several decades, engineering firm Tyer & Co. occupied the space to manufacture railway signalling equipment, altering the interior layout for heavy mechanical production.

A radical transformation occurred in 1980 when the Bootstrap Charity acquired the building. Bootstrap stripped out the industrial machinery and converted the factory floors into low-cost, managed workspaces. This turned the site from a heavy industrial factory into an office and studio incubator for charities, creative start-ups, and social enterprises.

Further structural and cultural adaptation took place in 2011. The Arcola Theatre moved into the premises, undergoing interior remodeling to construct a 200-seat main theatre, a 100-seat studio, and dedicated rehearsal rooms inside the historic brick fabric.
The final major addition is Dalston Roof Park, a rooftop bar and event venue built directly on top of the original roof structure. Today, the lower levels serve as the Print House Gallery for local artists, completing the building's evolution from a Victorian paint factory into a multi-layered community and creative hub.