Eileen’s Bar with its adjoining Gin Laboratory references the botanical elements of Four Pillars, a gin company, through hand-crafted timber elements and also acknowledges the star ingredient of the beverage, the juniper berry through colour.

Through materiality the bar is transformed into a contemporary destination without losing its industrial connection to the building. Bright blue predominates and there is tartan and spotted juniper berry blue fabric, timber joinery and bespoke furniture.

The 11-metre-long ‘V’ shaped bar with blunted corners in Pandamo-finished micro-cement is coloured the hue of the house bottle, ‘Four Pillars Navy Strength’ and spans half of the floorspace. The bar counter is a generous width and recessed integrated stainless-steel internals provide a coimfortable place to eat and drink. There are retractable stained oak louvered screens that allow flexibility to open up the space when required and custom tables with collapsible legs are easy to move at a moment’s notice.

The entire ceiling of the heritage freestanding brick landmark has been stripped of tract lighting and the timber joists and original copper inlays between beams restored.

At Four Pillars there is a tradition to name various headquarters after the mothers of company owners and senior employees and in Sydney, the still bears the name of co-founder Matt Jones’ mother Eileen.

Defining a new era in hospitality design, Eileens Bar designed with timber, concrete, steel and cork, reveals a sparsely elegant space that unfolds into an experience of grown-up sophistication and resilient chic.

Furniture: Nau, Kvadrat/Raf Simons, Cult Design, Design Nation. Lighting: custom YSG, Maiden, VBO, Modular lighting. Finishes: Rematerialised, Kvadrat/Raf Simons, Jonathan West, Concreative, Behind Bars, Portugal Cork, Up Rising Cement, Macqyver Models. Fittings & Fixtures: Vola, Spark and Burnish, Moda, Clipsal.

Photography: Anson Smart