Most people encounter Paul Bangay’s work at a distance — private estates in rural Victoria, international commissions, properties not built for visitors. The Garden at The Rocks is something different. Set within a sandstone courtyard on Argyle Street, it’s a Paul Bangay garden you can walk into at almost any time of the day.
Bangay’s approach centres on structure and seasonal change working together. Permanent planting holds the shape of a space year-round. Layered seasonal plantings shift within that frame, ensuring the garden reads differently in autumn than it does in spring. The result is a space with a consistent character that never quite looks the same twice.
It’s an approach that rewards people who return, not just those simply passing through.
At The Garden, Bangay’s design principles meet a heritage courtyard in the heart of The Rocks. Symmetry and spatial structure work within the sandstone surroundings, with planting that shifts across the seasons while maintaining a composed, grounded feel. Key plantings hold the space year-round; the seasonal layer changes around them, giving visitors something subtly different each time they visit.
For those familiar with Bangay’s work, it’s a rare chance to spend time in one of his designed spaces in the city. For those discovering him here, the space speaks for itself.
Coffee and pastries start at 8am at The Garden, then give way to a light food and drinks menu from midday, with the courtyard drawing people to slow down rather than move on. It works as well for a solo coffee as it does for a relaxed afternoon with friends.
Between 5 and 7pm daily, Happy Hour brings $7 classic cocktails, beers, wines and house spirits. It’s a good hour to sit in the garden as the light shifts and the day winds down, exactly as the space was designed for.
The Garden is located at 16 Argyle Street within the Argyle Stores precinct in the heart of The Rocks. Open Monday to Sunday, 8am to 10pm. A natural stop when exploring the neighbourhood, it sits within easy reach of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Getting around is straightforward from most parts of the city.
The Garden is the only place in Sydney where you can spend time in a Paul Bangay-designed landscape over a coffee, a long lunch, or a drink at the end of the day. That alone makes it worth the visit.
*The Garden practices the responsible service of alcohol. Drink responsibly.
