Sydney's Shelbourne Hotel gets concept plan for mixed-use apartment, retail and commercial tower

"Overtime, the Hotel and the surrounding area’s legibility, connectivity to public domain and the Pyrmont Bridge has diminished," a report submission noted.
Sydney's Shelbourne Hotel gets concept plan for mixed-use apartment, retail and commercial tower
The proposed restoration of The Shelbourne Hotel. Image credit: Turner Studio
Joel Robinson January 13, 2022

The landmark Sydney CBD watering hole, the Shelbourne Hotel, is set to look a little different.

The hotel at 200-202 Sussex Street, affectionately known by locals as "The Shelly" since its construction in 1902, looks like it will undergo a huge redevelopment, which will see a tower built above the current building and its heri​tage facade restored.

Turner Studio has put together the concept plans, which will also see the currently hotel reconfigured. Above is set to be 42 apartments, a mix of 17 one-bedroom apartments, 21 two-bedders and just four three-bedroom apartments.

There will be around 5,700 sqm of residential floor area across the tower, and 830 sqm of non-residential, which will be either offices or retail.

The submission was prepared on behalf of Towncorp Pty Ltd, directed by the Shelbourne's owners, the Powell family.


The proposed tower, to the left of the PWC building. Image credit: Turner Studio

"There is a significant opportunity to re-establish the Hotel’s connection to the public domain; retain and celebrate the heritage character of the Hotel; and create a slender tower addition that will contribute to the architectural diversity within the CBD skyline," a report by urban solutions company Ethos Urban noted.

"The Shelbourne Hotel was built in 1902 and at the time was a key landmark adjacent to Pyrmont Bridge at the western gateway to the city.

"Overtime, the Hotel and the surrounding area’s legibility, connectivity to public domain and the Pyrmont Bridge has diminished.

"The redevelopment has the potential to re-establish the Hotel’s relationship and connections with the street and wider public domain and reactivate the immediate area in a manner that compliments the future Cockle Bay redevelopment, celebrates the site’s heritage and creates a slender gateway tower at the corner of Sussex Street and Market Street.

"Redevelopment will bring new life to an aged asset."

Joel Robinson

Joel Robinson is the Editor in Chief at Urban.com.au, managing Urban's editorial team and creating the largest news cycle for the off the plan property market in the country. Joel has been writing about residential real estate for nearly a decade, following a degree in Business Management with a major in Journalism at Leeds Beckett University in England. He specializes in off the plan apartments, and has a particular interest in the development application process for new projects.

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