Vivid pink glows from the doors of a towering late Federation-era warehouse that sat dormant on the border of Sydney’s Surry Hills for half a century.
Lower levels are now occupied by Chin Chin, the sister to The Lucas Group’s powerhouse modern Asian restaurant in Melbourne. Hop left of the foyer’s enormous neon bunny for drinks and snacks in the GoGo Bar where interior architect, George Livissianis, has created a den of contrasting textures that exude a slick fetish vault vibe.
Modular raw concrete block banquettes are offset with seductive black velvet and shimmers of mirror and chrome beneath exposed wooden beams, whilst dominant S&M images tease this mischievous theme further.
The yin to GoGo’s yang is the ethereal 160-seat restaurant where its open plan triangular geometry is flooded in natural light. Livissianis’ Duchampian touch strips the walls and wooden furnishings down to their functional and elemental beauty, whilst marbled liquorice stone counters anchor the room’s weightlessness. The drama is saved for the platters: stir-fries, complex curries and tender barbequeue and rotisserie meats studded with herbaceous licks of spice.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
69 Commonwealth Street
-
Willy Chavarria: ‘We’re still so stuck in fashion‘s old guard’As part of the August 2025 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper*, we invited three creative powerhouses to comment on the state of the States. Here, award-winning American fashion designer Willy Chavarria speaks on creative resilience, uniting with activist groups, and shaking up fashion’s old guard
-
Six Indian artists reframe the ladies compartment of a Mumbai local trainAn exhibition by Method (India) at Galerie Melike Bilir in Hamburg explores a gendered space
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Fountainhead – a shining example of Usonian design – is now on the marketThis quintessential Wright home – built in a vibrant mid-century neighbourhood – was named after a novel inspired by the architect
-
Mondrian makes waves at Burleigh Heads with a striking Australian debutMondrian Gold Coast emerges as a sculptural new anchor for Burleigh Heads, pairing surf-side glamour with global polish
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in SydneyFK leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Grand National Hotel by Saint Peter: ‘a lush restaurant with rooms’In Sydney’s Paddington, chef Josh Niland opens the 14-bedroom luxury hotel alongside his pioneering restaurant
-
Book a brutalist one-room wonder Down Under, the Vipp Tunnel in TasmaniaThe Danish design brand's bookable showcases arrive in the southern hemisphere, thanks to the vision of Tasmanian architectural firm Room 11
-
Wallpaper* checks in at The Eve Hotel Sydney: a lush urban escapeA new Sydney hotel makes a bold and biophilic addition to a buzzing neighbourhood that’s on the up
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Lo Scoglio: an Australian vacation rental with regenerative principlesTucked away in Byron Bay’s hinterland, an Italian-style farmhouse presents a sustainable approach to luxury
-
Five influential women hoteliers reflect on the changing face of hospitalityAs women continue to gain ground in the hotel sector, despite still being underrepresented in senior positions, five female moguls share their experiences of the past and projections for the future
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Melbourne Place: ‘an alchemy of colour, texture and personality’Designed by Kennedy Nolan, Melbourne Place is the Australian city’s newest independent hotel, oozing creativity and urban energy
