Located in the heart of The Rocks in Sydney, Frank Mac’s pays tribute to the owner’s great uncle Frank, a larger-than-life character regularly found at his local village bar in Ireland. The venue is the latest addition to the building’s rich history, its sandstone walls having hosted a boot maker, boarding house, doctor’s surgery & opium dealer since the 1840s.
![casa Figueira architecture buckandsimple design house modern architecture](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/casa-Figueira41-400x300.jpg)
casa figueira
![Buck & Simple Architects](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cover-400x300.jpg)
the pool house
![the toxteth hotel architecture bar design australian interior cutout construction inner west buckandsimple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Cover-400x300.jpg)
the toxteth hotel
![wagstaffe house modern barn coastal architecture truss brick timber buckandsimple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cover-400x300.jpg)
wagstaffe residence
![fitzroy north architecture house design modern kitchen bathroom fireplace](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/fitzroy-cover-copy-400x300.jpg)
fitzroy north residence
![Bar Gin Hospitality Interior design Architecture Heritage Sydney rocks](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/FRANK-MACS-400x300.jpg)
frank macs
![seaforth architecture buck and simple porsche 356 timber screen house](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/castle-400x300.jpg)
a+c Residence
![architect sydney residential](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/whyte-house-400x300.jpg)
the whyte house
![Sydney Architect home design](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/gilliver-2-400x300.jpg)
gilliver residence
![architect sydney commercial](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/dosss-cover-1-400x300.jpg)
the doss house
![buck and simple torquay house architecture black timber kitchen](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/88DFFFA6-F276-44DC-B23D-B83AF5A36C7C-400x300.jpeg)
torquay house
![Bold colour kitchen Thirroul northern illawarra architecture architect bathroom design home renovation alterations](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/thirroul-cover-400x300.jpg)
casa m
![macmasters beach house architecture buck and simple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/macmasters-2-400x300.jpg)
macmasters beach house
![b+v house architecture modern coastal architecture buckandsimple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BNV-Res-05-400x300.jpg)
b+v house
![casa crisp house architecture buck and simple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/casacrisp2-1-400x300.jpg)
casa crisp
![a+h apartment architecture buck and simple interior design](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ah-cover-1-400x300.jpg)
a+h apartment
![architect sydney residential](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/grandview-tile-2-400x300.jpg)
d+k house
![littlebirch](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/littlebirch-1-400x300.jpg)
little birch
![modern home architect northern beaches architecture coastal architecture modern classic sasso nero buckandsimple](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/sasso-nero-cover-400x300.jpg)
sasso nero
frank macs
As they step in off the street, and enter through the heritage shopfront, guests are greeted by a visual feast. Authentic and attentive to detail, the shelves are packed to the brim with vintage knick-knacks and goods, harking back to the eclectic general stores of early 20th century Ireland.
The main bar is a showpiece item, with traditional stained oak panelling, and asymmetrical painted timber shelves telling a story of decades of use. Tacked onto the end of the bar is the “Snug”, a fresh take on the traditional pubs in the emerald isle, where the ad-hoc cramped spaces were notoriously used to cut shady deals between powerful characters.
There is a cozy and welcoming atmosphere that permeates the internal spaces, surrounded by the warmth of custom American oak joinery, dark velvet curtains and antique leather banquettes, wall and pendant lights, and aged brass detailing. The outdoor areas are defined by a pair of vintage mural artworks, a nod to the advertising art of early 20th century Sydney.
The design of the bar was carefully considered to protect and enhance the highly significant heritage fabric. Techniques include using freestanding joinery, protective floor layers, and no fixings into the sandstone walls, carefully inserting the new design elements within the heritage framework.
![](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Frank-Macs_0202.jpg)
![](https://buckandsimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Frank-Macs_0161.jpg)
“I want guests to feel like they’ve left their troubles at the door, and stepped into another world of old time charm with a modern twist.”
– Bogdan Nacu – Project Architect