From the printing press
to place-making
Schwartz Holdings Limited was founded by Stewart Schwartz, a businessman who first made his name in the printing industry, running factories in Hackney Wick at a time when the area was defined by industry and graft.
When the printing trade moved on, Stewart faced a choice — sell up and walk away, or imagine something different. He chose differently. He converted his factory into affordable artist studios and workshop spaces, helping to light the spark of a cultural revolution that transformed E9.
He saw what others didn't: that the raw, industrial character of Hackney Wick was not a liability to be erased, but a rare and precious thing worth protecting. As the area gentrified, Stewart became one of its most thoughtful stewards — deliberately keeping rents affordable so artists could put down roots and build real careers.
"Good over greed — that was always the intention. The community mattered more than the return."
