White Horse Hotel, Surry Hills
The White Horse Hotel is a three-storey pub located at 381 Crown Street in Surry Hills, close to the CBD of Sydney in NSW, Australia. Its appearance is distinguished by a large, iconic sculpture of a silver stallion constructed of galvanised steel, created in a rearing pose and set atop its facade.[1][2][3]
| The White Horse Hotel | |
|---|---|
 White Horse Hotel at night | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Address |
381 Crown Street Surry Hills 2010 Sydney, NSW |
| Coordinates | 33°53′26.3292″S 151°12′46.5300″E / 33.890647000°S 151.212925000°E |
| Completed | circa 1930 |
| Owner | Precision Group |
| Website | |
|
www | |
History
The White Horse Hotel was constructed in the 1930s when Surry Hills was a working class suburb.[3] British historian Jane Peyton writes that at that time, the Hotel was a central gathering place for colourful characters.[3]
Since then, Surry Hills has become gentrified over time and with it the Hotel has improved significantly. The Hotel was refurbished in 2004, at which time a new bar and a brasserie were installed, and the silver stallion was lifted onto the roof. According to Peyton, the Scottish designer responsible for the make-over commissioned the sculpture from his homeland, but had difficulty convincing the City of Sydney it was a work of art, rather than an advertisement.[3] The piece was also challenging to import:
It was made in Scotland by sculptor Andy Scott, cut into pieces, shipped to Australia and then reconstructed on the roof.[3]
Nevertheless, the sculpture was approved by the City of Sydney and installed, and is now a key feature of Crown Street.
In 2005 the Hotel was purchased by Precision Group for $7.5 million.[4]
The site was again refurbished in 2014 to update lounge areas, restaurant, function room, and a roof top terrace and garden.[1][5]
Notably, designer Matt Woods commissioned local artists such as Ben Morris to decorate the walls in the downstairs section with murals around the theme "café racer-inspired" bar as part of an approach "rooted in the heritage of the site".[6][7]
References
- 1 2 "The White Horse Hotel". Sydney.com. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- ↑ "Contact Us". www.thewhitehorse.com.au. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Peyton, Jane (2006). Pub Scene. London: Academy Press. ISBN 0470018097.
- ↑ MacDermott, Kathy (June 20, 2005). "Precision snatches Victory in Brisbane". The Australian Financial Review.
- ↑ "In Sydney". Sydney Morning Herald. Jan 2, 2015. p. 24.
- ↑ Klein, Zachary (September 16, 2014). "The White Horse Hotel; Majestically Saved by a Radical Refurbishment". Indesign Live: Daily Connection to Architecture & Design. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ↑ Bolles, Scott (June 16, 2014). "Steven Hiles takes over The White Horse Hotel". Good Food. Retrieved September 14, 2015.