The Wentworth Bar, held within the new Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, has rightly come to signify the heady reimagining of the iconic CBD property. And the standout within the bar itself is a peerless project that H&E was proud to envisage and execute – a striking glass and copper canopy that announces the impact of nuanced and thoughtful design.

Utilising the building’s known copper awning as narrative inspiration, the new canopy plays to the area’s demi-circular building line – itself a notable architectural imprint of the hotel since its completion by SOM in 1966. Seven years in the making, the new structure enlivens the elevated courtyard area into a lush and alluring rooftop terrace, bar and restaurant.

Working in close collaboration with ARC [Architectural Roofing & Wall Cladding], the copper centrepiece works to further the tale of the building – designed to develop a rich patina over time, adding a dynamic and evolving element to the hotel’s profile. It also works as an exemplar of H&E’s commitment to craftsmanship, precision, and the harmonious blending of old and new.

“This design is more than just a statement piece – it’s a tribute to the hotel’s history and a bold step forward in contemporary architectural design,” offers H&E co-principal Chris Grinham. H&E oversaw, and overcame, acute site complexity that was literally shaped by the curvature of the build, to mention Wentworth Bar’s elevated position straddling one of the city’s busiest arteries. Further enhancing the canopy’s unique metalwork that aligns materiality across marble and softer touches of American Oak, set against heritage Frieze tiles – all of which further acknowledges the building’s history against a sense of newfound modernity. Further design elements across the hotel were devised and delivered by FK.