CAPELLA SYDNEY HOTEL Make Architects + BAR Studio
Located 400m from Sydney Harbour , the heritage-listed former Department of Education building , part of the historic Sandstone Precinct , has reopened as the 5-star Capella Sydney Hotel . Make Architects was appointed by Pontiac Land Group to sensitively restore and remodel this former Edwardian Baroque-style governmental landmark for new uses , significantly opening the ground floor to be fully accessible to the public for the first time , with BAR Studio designing the refined new interiors throughout the hotel .
The design team worked closely with consultants and stakeholders , including Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney , to reveal the original character of the protected building , which dates from 1912 and was designed by government architect George McRae . The grandeur of McRae ’ s architecture , with its Florentine-Palazzo style sandstone facade and marble-clad vestibules , lends itself to a future role as one of the world ’ s leading hotels .
With 192 guest rooms , event spaces , and 3 different bar and restaurant offerings , Capella Sydney forms a landmark home that is connected to the life of the city center . This sense of belonging has been integral to the overall design vision for the project .
Originally built in two halves over a century ago , the former 8-story building occupies an entire city block . Its reconfiguration has been
Photos : Tim Kaye , Judy Watson ( www . timothykaye . com )
a major undertaking , especially as the integrity of many internal spaces has been compromised over the years by ad hoc changes made to the building ’ s fabric . McRae ’ s original design intent has been restored wherever possible , including the reinstatement of its internal garden courtyard , now named Aperture , on the ground floor . The surrounding spaces have been imaginatively repurposed for new uses , such as a variety of publicly accessible restaurants and bars and meeting and function rooms .
The former Department of Education ’ s gallery on level 6 has been preserved and transformed into the award-winning Auriga Spa , featuring a stunning 20m swimming pool , fitness suite , and private treatment rooms . The space is top-lit with copperlined heritage roof lanterns that have been carefully restored and reimagined to draw in and diffuse the daylight into this unique well-being destination . Innovative engineering was required to insert
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