Rochelle School

July 2023 DMStephenson (Atlas Obscura User)

Housed in three Victorian-era structures in London’s East End, the Rochelle School’s tenants run the creative gamut from artists to architects, media companies, and fashion brands.

The buildings used to serve as classrooms in the Victorian Period. They were part of a public housing project called Boundary Estate, London’s first public housing estate. The estate was erected within The Old Nichol, an infamous Victorian slum immortalized in Arthur Morrison’s 1896 novel The Art of the Jago.

Tenants and members of the public can dine at the School’s Canteen, which is housed in a converted bike shed within a walled garden. The canteen can become a sort of public exchange of ideas, and customers are often forced to sit together because of the canteen’s popularity at lunchtime.

The spaces at the School feel modern while at the same time retaining some of the Victorian flair. Those looking to become a tenant at the complex will be disappointed. The complex is currently full, but management is always interesting in hearing from prospectives just in case.

Know Before You Go

The nearest stations are Hoxton and Shoreditch High Street. It is next to the Arnold Circus bandstand. At Arnold Circus, find Rochelle Street. The school buildings occupy a large site on the opposite side to Hurley House.