The Squire’s Landing — the flagship venue for Australia’s pioneering craft brewery, James Squire — occupies Tenancy 5 at the iconic Overseas Passenger Terminal, prominently located on the western edge of Sydney’s Circular Quay.

Originally constructed as a series of warehouses and sheds for commercial trade within Sydney Cove, the Overseas Passenger Terminal underwent a major transformation in 1956 with the construction of a purpose-built structure. This was further modified in 1988 for the Australian Bicentenary through significant architectural interventions by Lawrence Nield and Peter Tonkin.

For many years, Tenancy 5 housed the renowned Doyles seafood restaurant, which vacated the premises in 2015. Our brief was to reimagine this northernmost tenancy as a landmark hospitality destination for James Squire, integrating a contemporary bar, restaurant, and working microbrewery within a heritage context of national significance.

Spanning two levels, the design includes a public bar, a full-service restaurant, and a freestanding, fully glazed microbrewery. This microbrewery brews exclusive, limited-release beers onsite and is elevated to preserve pedestrian flow and uninterrupted views toward the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House and Campbell’s Cove. Encased in full-height frameless glazing, the brewery pod becomes both a striking architectural centrepiece and an immersive celebration of the brewing craft.

The project also features newly constructed outdoor decks and terraces, extending the venue’s open-air dining capacity and offering panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, the Harbour Bridge, and Opera House. Although distinctly contemporary, these new elements are carefully detailed to complement the industrial steel aesthetic introduced in the 1988 renovation, ensuring a respectful and cohesive integration with the site’s heritage fabric.

Internally, the original structural steel framework by Nield and Tonkin has been preserved and expressed, forming the foundation for a refined material palette. Reclaimed spotted gum, non ferrous metals, and amber-toned glass are combined to create a warm and inviting series of spaces. The design supports a diverse culinary offering that emphasises NSW-sourced ingredients, alongside the full range of James Squire’s beers and ciders.

Feature elements include a bespoke bar crafted from tubular glass and finely folded copper, and a fully glazed dining area framed in structural steel — each element designed to heighten the sense of craft, transparency, and connection to place.

The construction process was not without its challenges. Located within a working international cruise terminal, the site required careful logistical planning to accommodate daily ship arrivals and strict security protocols. Despite these complexities, The Squire’s Landing was successfully completed and opened to critical acclaim in 2018.

Since opening, the venue has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists, and played a pivotal role in the broader revitalisation of the Campbell’s Cove precinct, completed by the New South Wales government in 2020.