Soul Pattinson Building
A Victorian Italianate retail and office building on Pitt Street in central Sydney, historically associated with the Washington H. Soul Pattinson pharmacy business.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Soul Pattinson Building is a Victorian Italianate retail and office building at 158–160 Pitt Street in central Sydney, Australia. It occupies a prominent position between Pitt Street Mall and Castlereagh Street, opposite the Strand Arcade, placing it within one of the city’s best-known historic retail precincts. The building is chiefly identified with Washington H. Soul Pattinson, the pharmacy and retail business that used the premises as its head office and flagship store for more than a century. The business began in Sydney in 1872, when Caleb Soul and his son, Washington, opened a store at 177 Pitt Street. In 1873, the operation moved to the larger premises at 158–160 Pitt Street. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1886. It was replaced in 1887 by a new structure known as Phoenix Chambers, attributed to the Mansfield Brothers. The replacement building retained the site’s commercial role and became a long-standing landmark of Sydney’s Pitt Street retail environment. The premises were notable not only for their architectural character but also for features associated with the changing culture of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century retail. The store included an American-style soda fountain, which remained in operation until 1948. It also had a Ladies Department run by a nurse, reflecting the pharmacy’s role as a provider of health-related advice and consumer services as well as medicines and household products. For much of its history, the building served as Washington H. Soul Pattinson’s corporate headquarters and flagship retail location. That association ended in the late 2010s. The property was offered for sale on 23 June 2016, and ownership transferred from Washington H. Soul Pattinson to Kingsvest on 1 March 2018 for A$100 million. The historic Soul Pattinson store closed a few days after the transfer, ending the building’s continuous flagship-store relationship with the business. The ground-floor retail space subsequently entered a transitional phase. Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski opened a pop-up store there on 12 October 2018 and operated from the site until March 2020. The space was then refitted for Sephora, which planned to relocate from Westfield Sydney and establish a new flagship store. The announced concept placed Sephora’s retail operation on the ground floor, with upper floors intended for Sephora University, a training facility for beauty advisers. The building therefore continued its historic function as a prominent retail destination, although under new occupants and with a substantially different merchandise and service offer. Today, the Soul Pattinson Building is best understood as a heritage-associated commercial property and historic retail landmark rather than as an operating pharmacy brand. Its identity derives from the surviving building, its Pitt Street location, its Victorian Italianate architecture, and its long connection with the Washington H. Soul Pattinson business. The supplied sources do not establish its current owner, tenant configuration, heritage-listing status, or later redevelopment history beyond the Sephora fit-out plans.
History
The site’s modern commercial history is closely tied to Washington H. Soul Pattinson. Caleb Soul and his son, Washington, opened the business at 177 Pitt Street in 1872. The following year, the growing operation moved to 158–160 Pitt Street, where it established the premises that would become its most recognisable Sydney location. The first building used by the business on the site was destroyed by fire in 1886. A replacement was completed in 1887 as Phoenix Chambers, a Victorian Italianate building attributed to the Mansfield Brothers. It became the company’s head office and flagship store. Through the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the premises combined pharmacy retailing, administrative functions, and services associated with changing urban consumer culture. Several features distinguished the store. An American-style soda fountain operated on the premises until 1948, while a Ladies Department was managed by a nurse. These facilities illustrate the broader role historically played by pharmacies as retail, social, and health-advice institutions. The building’s position between Pitt Street Mall and Castlereagh Street, opposite the Strand Arcade, also connected it to a concentrated network of major Sydney shops and arcades. The building remained associated with Washington H. Soul Pattinson for more than a century. A major transition began when it was listed for sale on 23 June 2016. On 1 March 2018, ownership passed from Washington H. Soul Pattinson to Kingsvest for A$100 million. The Soul Pattinson store closed a few days later, ending the flagship’s direct retail presence at the address. The property then moved through new retail uses. Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski opened a pop-up store in the former pharmacy space on 12 October 2018 and remained there until March 2020. The space was subsequently refitted for Sephora, which planned to move from Westfield Sydney. The announced Sephora format included a flagship store on the ground floor and Sephora University training facilities on the upper floors, with a planned opening on 20 January 2021. This sequence preserves the building’s role as a high-profile retail property while changing its commercial identity. The name Soul Pattinson Building continues to refer primarily to the historic structure and its association with the former pharmacy business, rather than to a currently operating Soul Pattinson store. The supplied material does not provide additional information about later tenants, present ownership, formal heritage protections, or subsequent alterations.
- 2021
Sephora flagship opening planned
[1]Sephora plans to open a flagship store on 20 January, with retail on the ground floor and training facilities on upper levels.
- 2020
Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski tenancy ends
[1]The pop-up store operates until March, after which the premises are prepared for a new tenant.
- 2018
Ownership changes and Soul Pattinson store closes
[1]Kingsvest acquires the property for A$100 million on 1 March, and the long-running Soul Pattinson store closes shortly afterward.
- 2018
Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski opens a pop-up store
[1]A temporary Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski store opens in the ground-floor premises on 12 October.
- 2016
Property is listed for sale
[1]The building is placed on the market on 23 June.
- 1948
Soda fountain ceases operation
[1]The American-style soda fountain associated with the store remains in use until this year.
- 1887
Phoenix Chambers is completed
[1]A replacement Victorian Italianate building, attributed to the Mansfield Brothers, is completed and becomes the company’s head office and flagship store.
- 1886
Original building destroyed by fire
[1]The building occupied by the business burns down.
- 1873
Business moves to 158–160 Pitt Street
[1]The expanding business moves to the larger premises that later become known as the Soul Pattinson Building.
- 1872
Washington H. Soul Pattinson opens in Pitt Street
[1]Caleb Soul and his son, Washington, open the business at 177 Pitt Street in Sydney.
Products and positioning
A historic Sydney retail and office building whose commercial identity was formed by its long association with Washington H. Soul Pattinson and its location in the Pitt Street heritage retail precinct.
Brand decisions
2021
Conversion of former pharmacy space for SephoraStrategyBackground
After the Soul Pattinson store and a subsequent Surf Dive ‘n’ Ski pop-up, the prominent ground-floor premises required a new retail tenant.
Action taken
The space was refitted for Sephora’s new flagship store, with Sephora University planned for the upper floors.
Aftermath
The planned conversion continued the property’s role as a major retail destination while replacing its historic pharmacy use with beauty retail and training facilities.
2018
Transfer of ownership to KingsvestM&ABackground
The property sale concluded after the building had served as Washington H. Soul Pattinson’s head office and flagship store for many decades.
Action taken
Ownership transferred to Kingsvest on 1 March 2018 for A$100 million.
Aftermath
The Soul Pattinson store closed a few days later, and the ground-floor space was subsequently leased for other retail uses.
Property sale price. A$100 million (1 March 2018)
2016
Decision to sell the propertyStrategyBackground
The long-established Soul Pattinson premises were placed on the market after more than a century of association with the pharmacy business.
Action taken
The building was listed for sale on 23 June 2016.
Aftermath
The sale led to a change of ownership and the eventual closure of the flagship Soul Pattinson store.
Sources1 sources
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