This is the junction where East India Dock Road, West India Dock Road and Commercial Road meet. All of these roads were constructed at the same time, with West India Dock Road and Commercial road being built in 1802 and East India Dock Road from 1806.



The purpose of these roads was to connect the docks to the city, to enable to movement of goods from ships to warehouses in teh city, such as the Cutler Street Warehouses in Aldgate. 



At the junction also stands the British Foreign Sailors Society. This point is the crux of connections in many ways, from material goods to global cultural interactions. This is one of the many branches of the Sailors society. Originally created in 1818 as the Port of London Society, it was built  to cater to the religious needs of sailors. Look closely at the imagery around the entrance and the rest of the building. The pictorial aspect to the building is through to attract sailors who would not necessarily be able to read English. 



Today the East London Chinese Centre is based on the ground floor of this building. Look for the Chinese characters in the window on the side of the building ( Beccles Street)