Grand Dame: Capella Sydney
BAR Studio and Make Architects have completed an ambitious redesign of a Sydney landmark for Capella Hotels & Resorts’ first property in Australia — and not a moment too soon
Capella Sydney lands in a city long-starved of standout hospitality offerings. Until now, the Park Hyatt (also with interiors by BAR Studio) was my only option for a reliably plump pillow, a sense of privacy and international-grade service on my frequent but brief visits to the city. It’s little wonder then that many of the Capella staff are alumni of that harbourside institution. Capella is a hotel that the market has been waiting years, if not decades, for — and with that comes soaring expectations.
There’s a clear respect for the building the Capella Sydney now calls home, and for the specialists who brought it to life. Architecture, interiors, styling, art and even floral installations all feel aligned and of the place. And for all its luxury trappings, Capella still feels part of its community. I’m told that curious Sydneysiders frequently wander the hotel’s public spaces just to see the art collection, much of it by First Nations artists, curated by Singapore-based consultancy The Artling.
The building, originally the eight-storey home to the Department of Education designed by George McRae, was re-configured by Make Architects, which modernised the layout while preserving and opening up stunning original features like staircases and entrances. Several additional floors have been added, though they’re set back from the original facade so the extension is barely noticeable from the street, and there are three new basement levels for back-of-house functions, designed as such to reduce the impact on the heritage structure.
Melbourne- and Madrid-based BAR Studio sought to connect the various ground floor spaces with a series of visual portals framed in timber and steel, while the studio’s work in the 192 guestrooms is a masterclass in creating enduring residential environments. Spacious and sumptuous (the smallest is 46 square metres), the rooms are functional and dignified. Materials like leather, timber and tactile textiles are applied generously, and decorative vases, books, lamps and objets adorn surfaces in rooms and throughout the hotel, the result of a collaboration with Melbourne-based designer Simone Haag.
Despite being less than a year old, Capella Sydney feels lasting and lived in. A welcome addition to the city’s hotel scene, this is a property that knows its audience and how to please it. And like the building it occupies, it should only get better with time.
Text by Jeremy Smart
Images by Tim Kaye
