ADAPTIVE RE-USE WITH NEW WORKS
2022 – Ongoing
Patrick Freehill is a three-level Victorian Regency stone building located at 107-109 George Street, the Rocks and is listed as a heritage item on the State Heritage Register (SHR). Dating from the 1850s and 1860s, it was built as a shop and residence with a separate bakehouse and stables at the rear, with access to Nurses Walk. During the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, the use of the building was divided through the middle, including “The Shipwrights Arms Hotel”, the “Chicago Hotel”, and other uses, including a fish shop, café, and a barbershop. The 1970s was the first time the building was combined and extensively renovated as a restaurant. It has since accommodated the Rocks Push Restaurant, the Rockpool Restaurant, the Oyster Bar and, until 2023, the William Blue Restaurant.
Design 5 – Architects began involvement with the building in 2022 to assist the owner, Placemaking NSW, with conservation and maintenance, structural repairs, and compliance upgrades. Works have involved stripping back decades of unsympathetic additions and services to reveal the significant base building structure and fabric. From there, we have documented and overseen the conservation and restoration works while replacing the roof structure to the rear as well as services and compliance upgrades. The works involved a 6-month construction phase, and the building will be handed over to a tenant to continue its use as a restaurant.