11 A luxe addition to Sydney’s Sandstone Precinct
IF GEORGE MCRAE WERE alive today, he would be well placed swilling whisky in Capella Sydney’s glamorous Victorian-style bolthole that bears his name. During the Scotsman’s tenure as NSW’s government architect in the early 1900s, McRae would leave the Edwardian Baroque-style Department of Education building as his legacy, along with notable landmarks Sydney Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building.
The century-old State Heritage-listed building in Circular Quay was used as bureaucratic offices until 2015, when it was leased to Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group. The luxury property developer then began a meticulous seven-year restoration, reimagining the property as Capella Sydney. The newly opened luxury hotel forms part of the ‘Sandstone Precinct’, which includes the adjacent 19th-century Department of Lands building. Due for completion in 2026, the second stage of Capella Sydney will house an event space and curated mix
