Introducing The Lands by Capella
Sydney’s Next Grand Space for Luxury, Culture, and Celebration
Sydney buildings don’t just exist they remain, quietly witness to the march of time, waiting patiently for the perfect instant to be reborn. Sydney’s old Department of Lands building, in civic beauty and sandstone grandeur, had always belonged to that group. And in early 2026, it will re-open as The Lands from Capella and an entirely different definition for the city of Sydney getting together, celebrating, and having a good time. It is also exciting news for weddings with a new luxury venue in the heart of the city.
If the past few years belonged to Capella Sydney a hotel that won every award possible from Travel + Leisure to the HM Awards then the next chapter is in store for its twin. Both of them shall form The Sandstone Precinct, a walkable destination where heritage, hospitality, and cultural exploration intersect at the crossroads of Circular Quay, Macquarie, and George Streets.
A House of Light
It’s ambitious thinking, even for an international standard: 10,000 square metres of events space, topped with rooftop dining, high-end retail, and an entire floor devoted to light-filled venues of cinematic beauty. Weddings spilling out of soaring ballrooms; small, intimate boardroom events set against arched cedar windows; Florence Guild cultural salons in the Sandstones Club. Possibility is in every corner.
Marc von Arnim, the general manager of Capella Sydney, calls it “an extension of our commitment to delivering unforgettable experiences.” The language is modest in comparison with the scale of what’s to come. The Lands by Capella is not just another events facility it’s, in short, Sydney’s cultural salon, a house of light where the past and present blend in perfect harmony.
The Art of Adaptive Grandeur
Architectural custodianship falls to Hassell, with heritage consultation from Purcell. It’s a plan of subtlety: to have the use blend in with the building, not have the building serve to accommodate. What you end up with is an interior lexicon that honours heritage with black-and-white marble corridors, heroic timber doors, complex wainscotting but superimposes in a series of contemporary inclusions that are whispers of things to come.
“We’ve renewed a hithertofore underutilized site and restored its original glory,” says Managing Director Liz Westgarth of Hassell. “It had a fantastic heritage fabric. We were asked to skillfully layer in the design to prep it for another century of life.”
It’s not nostalgia. It’s adaptive grandeur the kind of rebirth that turns a landmark into a dynamic stage for a city’s future culture.
Spaces That Tell Stories
On Level Two, there are five various venues on offer. The Capella Ballroom, for 250 seats beneath its soaring ceilings, is the destination for galas and wedding events of a sort Sydney hasn’t yet experienced. Its twin, the Liberty Ballroom, offers intimacy for 120 guests — subdued, elegant, but no less regal.
Smaller suites honour the cartographic past of the building in their names: the Botanist, Surveyors, Explorers. Lighting each with natural light, each a summoning to gather, celebrate, or chart in style.
Lyn Lewis-Smith, Chief Executive, Business Events Sydney, says the project is “a rare combination of heritage charm and world-class facilities… a one-off site for Sydney’s international events future.”
Hospitality, Elevated
It’s the hospitality that’s the glue, and it’s being championed by an award-winning staff at Capella. Event guests are treated to the culinary creative genius of Executive Chef Gabriele Taddeucci, whose culinary pursuits mingle native Australian produce and world flavours. Overnight, the precinct’s synergy with Sydney’s Capella is a done deal — 192 rooms and suites, a spa recognised globally, and the plush haven of The Living Room, reserved exclusively for in-house hotel guests.
It’s a world of indulgence with events that don’t end when the lights go out in the ballroom, but go on into after-hours dining on the rooftop, wellness-infused mornings, and stays that redefine visiting.
The Next Icon
The story of Sydney has always been one of reinvention. From its glistening harbour to its sandstone streets, the city renews its icons without erasing their soul. The Lands by Capella is the next chapter in that story: a treasure restored, reimagined, and ready to host the most important gatherings of the century.
For couples, this is your moment. A place where your wedding won’t just be celebrated, but staged with a sense of grandeur and cultural significance that only Sydney can offer.
Opulent, cultural, and entirely contemporary, The Lands by Capella is more than a venue — it is a stage for defining moments: weddings, galas, conferences, and salons that set the tone for the city’s spirit.
When its doors open in early 2026, The Lands by Capella won’t simply join the conversation about luxury — it will lead it. Enquire soon; dates will be in high demand, and this is one destination that will fill fast.
