Sydney’s stunning Porter House Hotel scored a double at the 2024 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Awards, winning both the Commercial Architecture Award and the prestigious Greenway Heritage Award. Designed by Candalepas Associates, the hotel is the perfect example of how architecture and design can connect history and contemporary elegance.
Housed within a former tobacco factory in one of Sydney’s most carefully preserved 1870s buildings, the Porter House Hotel, which opened in late 2022, showcases a distinct appreciation of craftsmanship that highlights the site’s rich and layered history. Candalepas Associates focused on preserving heritage elements of the building including original timbers, exposed brick, and restored murals. A delicate interplay between history and modernity is witnessed by thoughtful displays of discovered artefacts, and rooms and suites that prioritise comfort and connectivity to the exterior architecture.
The jury citation stated: “The successful reawakening of The Porter House Hotel is a celebrated exemplar for the combination of embraced conservation methodologies intertwined with a responsive commercial operation, within an important heritage building of cultural significance.”
The heritage wing of the hotel on Castlereagh Street encompasses five floors of bars, restaurants and meeting spaces. Meanwhile, the hotel wing pays homage to the original site by incorporating a modern take on original features, including contemporary curved windows that reference the building’s historical brick archways. Supple leather detailing is used throughout as an ode to its former incarnation as a leather merchant, while lamps are playfully mismatched – one vintage, one modern – to symbolise the immersion of past and present.
Mitchell Turner, general manager of The Porter House Hotel Sydney – MGallery Collection, said his team were delighted to share in this success. “We are honoured to acknowledge that The Porter House Project has won these awards, which recognise the creativity and vision of Angelo Candalepas,” he said. “Every day, we are proud to bring the hotel’s rich history and character to life through immersive guest experiences around gastronomy, mixology and a welcoming atmosphere that highlights the hotel’s many stories.”
Commissioned in 1876 by philanthropist and horticulturist Hugh Dixson, the hotel started its life as a grand tobacco factory and was later a furniture and leather merchants. From luxurious stays in the carefully curated rooms and suites to a casual breakfast or lunch in Henry’s Bread and Wine, a delicious dinner at Dixson & Sons, or innovative cocktails at Spice Traders, the hotel’s heritage is always evident.
