The EVE Hotel Sydney: A Biophilic Breath in Wunderlich Lane’s Final Chapter.

The hotel reception and lobby. Editorial styling by Joseph Gardener. Photography by Anson Smart.

On the border of Surry Hills and Redfern, The EVE Hotel emerges as the missing puzzle piece in Sydney’s evolving urban fabric. Designed by SJB, this boutique luxury hotel marks the final addition to the vibrant Wunderlich Lane Precinct, offering a serene space in one of Sydney’s most dynamic neighbourhoods.

Rooted in a philosophy of longevity, The EVE balances enduring architectural design with contemporary accents. The project celebrates Sydney’s creative spirit and contributes to the ongoing story of the local area.

An Ode to Australian Design

Rather than looking internationally for design inspiration, SJB embraced the Australian landscape and celebrated uniquely Australian experiences. The result is a refreshing departure from the cookie-cutter international hotel aesthetic that has dominated the hospitality scene for too long.

“Our philosophy is to create a space that supports local designers and artisans whilst rooting the hotel contextually by drawing inspiration from the surrounding forms and Australiana palette of Sydney,” explains Charlotte Wilson, Co-Lead of SJB’s Sydney interior design team. “The hotel features rich handcrafted layers of ceramics, fabrics and continuous views to nature.”

Individual design touches have been scattered throughout, like custom sculptural lighting by Australian designer Henry Wilson. Bright rendered walls and white glazed breezeblocks add texture and lightness, creating an expansive, welcoming atmosphere.

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A peek through to Bar Julius on the way to The EVE Hotel entry.

The Architectural Journey

Upon entering from the busy streets, guests experience an orchestrated transition through an immersive entry alongside Bar Julius, leading into a calming lobby anchored by natural stone and bespoke glazed terracotta. This transition space acts as a decompression chamber—a moment to shed the urban intensity before fully embracing the serenity within.

The hotel wraps around a central courtyard, creating what SJB calls a biophilic “exhale” for guests, with sight lines through to lush greenery. This connection to nature is integral to the guest experience, offering moments of reprieve and restoration.

As guests move through the communal spaces, they transition from open, spacious areas to more secluded, cloistered corridors inspired by timeless civic architecture. This dichotomous approach creates moments of expansion and compression, providing a spatial sequence between serene, quiet spaces and buzzing communal areas.

SJB Director Adam Haddow explains: “The cloister at The EVE is an Australian take on what you see in Italy or Portugal, with views toward a central green courtyard on one side and the circular oculus housing Olympus (restaurant) on the other. It’s designed to be more than a walkway.”

Rooms With a Breath

The hotel’s 102 guest rooms each offer a unique experience with an Australian-inspired palette of either eucalyptus or red clay tones. Each room has a private balcony, offering a connection to the outdoors and providing natural ventilation—an offering not commonly found in commercial hotels.

These spaces were originally envisioned as areas where opera singers, musicians, and other performers could rehearse and warm up in the open air outside of their climate-controlled rooms. This whimsical touch speaks to the creative spirit of the Surry Hills and Redfern area.

Ranging from 27 to 30 square meters for the rooms, with suites spanning 35-63 square meters, the guest experience culminates in The EVE Residence, offering VIP guests exclusive and private access across generous 153 square meters.

Every aspect has been imagined to evoke a sense of comfort and refinement, with attention to sensory details extending beyond the visual. Music curator Harry Staub has created the hotel’s musical identity with a soundtrack that shifts in mood throughout the day, mirroring the natural light and the passing of time.

Details from Bar Julius. Editorial styling by Joseph Gardener. Photography by Anson Smart.

Bar Julius: A Ceiling That Tells Stories

Bar Julius, The EVE’s European-inspired lobby bar, deserves its own moment in the spotlight. In a homage to Australian art history, the design draws inspiration from Grace Cossington Smith’s 1936 work “The Lacquer Room”. This space layers classic materials with a playful twist, creating a kaleidoscopic environment that feels energetic and timeless.

Architecturally classical, the bar is defined by a formal dado and a vaulted ceiling—a duality that brings order and joy. The rigour of a dado brings strength and formality, while the vault is light and uplifting. Above the dado, the vaulted ceiling playfully defies gravity as it dips down, not quite touching the walls.

The showstopper is local artist Louise Olsen‘s artwork “Still Life,” inspired by bottles and vessel shapes, making the space utterly memorable. The collaborative effort between SJB and Olsen has produced something truly special. “The design called for a statement piece, something bright, colourful and full of energy,” says Haddow. “Together, we worked on displaying the artwork, landing on a dramatic ceiling installation for a bold and encapsulating effect. It was important to us that we embedded Australian art within the bar.”

The design language draws on classic bistro aesthetics with the rich red-brown warmth of Australian timbers Jarrah and Ironbark. Bold two-toned timber and stone patterns bring an inviting richness, while the backlit barrisol ceiling casts a warm glow. Every detail, from the deep blue-grey accents to the layered red-toned marbles, builds complexity in the room.

Victoria Judge, Senior Associate and Co-Lead of SJB Sydney’s interiors team, describes the space as one that “brings together timelessness, with a fresh, modern energy. Featuring the natural warmth of Australian timbers, bold patterns, and playful artwork, the space feels both grounded and delightfully spirited. A place that’s cosy, uplifting, and full of life.”

A Precinct With History (and Future)

Wunderlich Lane development is deeply rooted in history. The site evolved from John Baptist’s nursery in the 1830s (for whom Baptist Street is named) to the Wunderlich Ltd factory in the late 1800s, which produced architectural elements still found throughout Sydney’s heritage buildings.

Baptist was Portuguese and arrived in Sydney as a free man in 1829, opening his nursery in the early 1830s. His 40 acres of nursery and market gardens were a significant horticultural contribution to the colony and Sydney’s first pleasure gardens. They gradually became the ‘show grounds of Sydney’ to which Sydneysiders flocked on weekends.

In the late 1800s, the site evolved into the Wunderlich Ltd factory. Established by Ernest and Alfred Wunderlich, the factory produced ornamental zinc panels, cornices and architectural products that had a wide-ranging impact on Sydney’s heritage architecture, such as the grand facades of the Government Bank in Martin Place and the pressed metal ceilings which can still be found in Sydney’s terrace homes to this day.

The EVE rooftop pays homage to this history, functioning as a garden that references the precinct’s former life as one of the first pleasure gardens established during colonial Sydney. Conceptualised by Daniel Baffsky from 360 Degrees, the landscape envelopes the space with beautiful, lush native planting and exotic palms that sit in synergy with the architecture.

Today, the precinct houses an impressive line-up of venues, including Olympus Dining (by the team behind The Apollo), Island Radio, Baptist St. Rec. Club, R by Raita Noda, Saardè’s flagship store, and the contemporary Mexican restaurant and mezcaleria Lottie on the rooftop.

“The EVE is the missing piece of urban fabric in the area; a local stay that’s uniquely of its place which will, in turn, provide much needed support for the surrounding local businesses on Crown and Cleveland Streets, and more broadly, the surrounding suburbs of Redfern, Waterloo and Surry Hills,” says Adam Haddow. “We’re immensely proud of this project, both from a design perspective and for the good it will do for the surrounding community.”

[Images courtesy of SJB. Editorial styling by Joseph Gardener. Photography by Anson Smart.]