The White Horse Hotel is a three-storey public hotel located at 381 Crown Street in Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia. Its appearance is distinguished by a large sculpture of a silver stallion constructed of galvanised steel, created in a rearing pose and set atop its facade.[1][2]
| White Horse Hotel | |
|---|---|
 The White Horse Hotel at night | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Australian pub |
| Address | 381 Crown Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 33°53′26″S 151°12′47″E / 33.89056°S 151.21306°E |
| Completed | c. 1930 |
| Owner | Precision Group |
| Website | |
| thewhitehorse | |
History edit
The White Horse Hotel was constructed in the 1930s when Surry Hills was a working-class suburb.[2] British historian Jane Peyton writes that at that time, the hotel was a central gathering place for colourful characters.[2]
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, but initially had difficulty convincing the City of Sydney it was a work of art, rather than an advertisement.[2] According to Peyton, the sculpture, by Andy Scott, was challenging to import. It was made in Scotland, cut into pieces, shipped to Australia and then reconstructed on the roof.[2]
In 2005 the Hotel was purchased by Precision Group for $7.5 million.[3] The site was again refurbished in 2014 to update lounge areas, restaurant, function room, and a rooftop terrace and garden.[1][4] 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".[5][6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "The White Horse Hotel". Sydney.com. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Peyton, Jane (2006). Pub Scene. London: Academy Press. ISBN 0470018097.
- ^ MacDermott, Kathy (20 June 2005). "Precision snatches Victory in Brisbane". Australian Financial Review.
- ^ "In Sydney". Sydney Morning Herald. 2 January 2015. p. 24.
- ^ Klein, Zachary (16 September 2014). "The White Horse Hotel; Majestically Saved by a Radical Refurbishment". Indesign Live: Daily Connection to Architecture & Design. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Bolles, Scott (16 June 2014). "Steven Hiles takes over The White Horse Hotel". Good Food. Retrieved 14 September 2015.