On the recent senior design trip to Sydney, we had the privilege of touring the historic Fullerton Hotel, formerly the Sydney General Post Office. I found the experience captivating from both a historical and architectural perspective.

We learned that the building, which dates back to the 1800s, played a pivotal role as a communication hub before its transformation into a luxury boutique hotel.

One of the most interesting parts was discovering the meaning behind the moulded faces on its facade, representing notable figures from the era. During World War II, the building was carefully deconstructed brick by brick to protect it and later reconstructed in the same fascinating way. It was also fascinating to discover that several scenes from ‘The Matrix’ were filmed within the Fullerton Hotel.

The tour was a great, eye-opening experience seeing how old and new can be blended in a way that has continuity but is also distinctly old and new with the new high-rise hotel building attached onto the main historical building.

Will Dellaway, Senior Design Student