The International at 25 Martin Place by Woods Bagot and The Point

The International has opened at 25 Martin Place, the Harry Seidler-designed precinct formerly known as the MLC Centre in Sydney’s CBD. As the latest offering from hospitality powerhouse The Point, it raises the culinary and design stakes with three venues across multiple levels: The Grill, The Wine Bar and The Panorama Bar.

Reimagined in recent years by Woods Bagot in collaboration with Harry Seidler & Associates, the precinct’s architectural heritage is ingrained in The International’s design identity. Its location within the contemporary horseshoe-shaped addition that loops through the central plaza, between the original tower and its sister structure – fondly dubbed the ‘modernist mushroom’ – places it at the heart of this landmark destination.

“The feeling of being in one curve of the horseshoe is that of an amphitheatre of sorts, surrounded by some of Sydney’s most incredible pieces of architecture,” says Anna Hewett, interior design director and co-owner of The Point.

Each venue features a tailored design response to emphasise its distinctive identity and purpose.

The International’s dynamic hospitality offering includes “a fresh take on a typical New York City grill restaurant, a wine bar that’s easy but still for serious wine geeks and a fun, social rooftop bar that allows you to feel like you could be in any city in the world,” says Hewett.

Each venue features a tailored design response to emphasise its distinctive identity and purpose. Seidler’s modernist design principles are most prominent in The Wine Bar, where curves denote the precinct’s defining tropes, timber wall panelling nods to the original architecture’s era and views from the dedicated Seidler Room capture the mushroom’s iconic convex form. Conversely, The Grill’s slick table settings and booths are decidedly Manhattan, while The Panorama Bar feels fresh and upbeat.

Hewett describes the project as having an “overarching modernist ’70s mood” with “small visual and sensory cues that connect the areas, such as stone, stainless steel, primary colour pops and details in the furniture and art”.

Hewett describes the project as having an “overarching modernist ’70s mood” with “small visual and sensory cues that connect the areas, such as stone, stainless steel, primary colour pops and details in the furniture and art”. Other elements like ’70s light fittings, slumped glass and stone flooring – “crazy paving in the wine bar and large, geometric Gio Ponti-esque tiles in the restaurant” – lead to an interior scheme that feels considered and visually engaging.

The array of drinking and dining options from the seasoned Point team is also a drawcard, be it a crisp glass of wine on the sunny piazza – its canary yellow palette is inspired by the iconic Charles Perry steel ‘S’ sculpture on the site – or a steak at the glamorous Grill. Hewett speaks to this sentiment, saying she hopes Sydneysiders come to see The International as a dependable mainstay for “quick snacks, work meetings, long lunches, important occasions or after-dinner cocktails”.

Architecture by Woods Bagot. Interior design by Anna Hewett of The Point. Build by Buildcorp. Joinery by Euroline.