At the southern edge of Surry Hills, Surry Hills Village has moved from a former supermarket and warehouse site into a recognised mixed-use precinct, with the project now shortlisted across several categories in the 2026 NSW Architecture Awards.
The Australian Institute of Architects named the project in the commercial architecture, residential architecture – multiple housing, and urban design categories. Winners are scheduled to be announced on 2 July 2026.
Centred around Wunderlich Lane, the precinct spans 12,244sqm and brings together apartments, terrace houses, shops, dining venues, workspaces, heritage elements, open areas and The EVE Hotel Sydney. The development has been arranged as seven village-style sections, creating a mix of residential, hospitality and street-level uses within one inner-city precinct.
Wunderlich Lane Anchors The Surry Hills Precinct
Wunderlich Lane connects Baptist and Marriott streets and forms a central part of the precinct’s layout. Its food and retail mix includes Coles, Harris Farm Markets, Messina, Olympus Dining, Island Radio, Bar Julius and Saardé, alongside other tenancies within the precinct.
The EVE Hotel Sydney adds a 102-room boutique hotel to the development, with a rooftop pool and bar. Hospitality spaces, retail areas and outdoor seating are arranged around the laneway, giving the precinct a clear connection between buildings, landscape and street-level activity.
The residential component sits alongside this activity, with four multi-residential buildings and terrace houses forming the Marriott Street edge. Brickwork, organic forms and shared green spaces are used across the residential buildings, with communal areas included for residents.
Design Recognition Spans Housing, Commercial and Urban form
The awards shortlist places Surry Hills Village across several design fields, reflecting the scale and complexity of the project. SJB led the architectural design as principal architect, Studio Prineas worked on the heritage component, and ASPECT Studios shaped the landscape and public domain.
The project also includes a retained heritage element at the corner of Cleveland and Baptist streets, where the former Bank of NSW building façade has been incorporated into the development. Studio Prineas retained the Victorian-era brick façade, with food and beverage spaces now occupying the structure.
At the Cleveland and Marriott streets corner, a commercial building using mass timber construction forms another part of the precinct. Its brickwork and arched windows create a visible marker for the development from Cleveland Street.
Landscape Brings New Movement Through Surry Hills Village
A key part of the project is the way Surry Hills Village reworks a previously enclosed site into a more connected precinct. Laneways, streetscapes, public artworks, rooftop gardens and a new park form part of the design.
The new laneway opens the site to the surrounding street network and creates active edges through the precinct. Planting areas, seating, courtyards and retail spill-out spaces have been arranged to support dining, gathering and everyday movement through the area.
Greenery is carried throughout the development, from balconies and private planters to rooftop gardens and shared courtyards. The landscape strategy includes native plants, low-water species and permeable green spaces, with the design also aimed at supporting urban cooling and resilience.
A new park has also been added on a former carpark, retaining mature eucalypts while adding new street trees and a cycle link between Baptist and Cooper streets.
The shortlisted entries position Surry Hills Village as more than a single-use development. Its recognition across commercial architecture, multiple housing and urban design highlights a precinct shaped by new residences, retained heritage, laneway retail, hospitality and landscape-led open space.
Published 12-May-2026
