Woods Bagot’s approach to the brief from Shell House client The Point Group —four establishments, delivered simultaneously within an iconic heritage build—was to design each space as if stories within an anthology. Shell House has an overarching narrative that builds, but each venue has its own character, and each conjures a different atmosphere. This approach, of big to fine moves, begins at the ground floor Menzies Bar. 

The space draws upon the rich nostalgia and hospitality of a traditional Australian pub whilst referencing the memory of the glamour and theatrically of the notorious Menzies Hotel that once occupied the building. The tessellated black and white tile is a reference to the underground railway canteens of the site, however they’re arranged in a contemporary pattern and tumbled to provide a sense of permanence and longevity. The yellow of the walls was sourced from the rare terracotta exterior, and decoratively layered imitating traditional mottled pub tiles. All adding a sense of contemporary nostalgia. 

With subtle warmth of mellowed incandescent lighting and generous curves, the central bar—crafted in blackened steel— is a sculptural centrepiece. Mirrored above, the spirit hamper is an illuminated halo of bottles whose vibe is exuberant abundance. Cast windows clad the perimeter between Carrington and Margaret streets filling the space with light. The custom light fittings and furniture throughout afford the venue with its own sense of place. However, it is the open kitchen, the curation of found objects, the flowers and the warmth of the staff that nurture the sense of being welcomed into a private home. 

Shell House is a paragon of the globally important heritage architecture. The only surviving interwar commercial palazzo-style building in Sydney. Standing at 65.5 metres high, Shell house’s façade is also one of the tallest retained heritage facades in the world. This enduring commitment to quality and in turn longevity holds a place in Sydney’s past and presence. It was necessary to provide an interior with equal quality and sense of permanence. This is a fitout designed to be lovingly worn and maintained, not refurbished. The choice of marble floors and quality timber, marble and steel bars that will patina with use allows the venue to age with grace as the great bars and restaurants of Europe.

 As a sequence, Shell House weaves a grand narrative of theatricality and escapism, distilling a storied history and transporting us to a time when people lingered. As standalones, each venue finds its own flavour of this timelessness. There are these nods to the past, but the sensorial spaces create a vivid memory of place that is distinctly here and now drawing visitors back again and again. It’s this melding of history and hospitality that’s allowed Shell House to quickly become the social heart for Sydneysiders and a catalyst for a city coming back to life.