Sydney’s historic Sandstone Precinct is being reimagined as a premium destination for luxury tourism. Since 2015, Ethos Urban has partnered with Pontiac Land Group to provide expert planning advice throughout this project, ensuring a balance between heritage preservation while delivering a modern visitor experience.
In response to the State Government's various tourism initiatives, the NSW Government identified the 'Sandstone Precinct', formerly the Department of Lands Building and Department of Education Building as the preferred location for new tourism and visitor accommodation.
In late 2013, it sought 'Registrations of Interest' and subsequently undertook an Expression of Interest process with developers, investors and hotel operators who had an interest in adaptively re-using the buildings for these purposes.
Image Source: Capella/Timothy Kaye
Pontiac Land Group was announced as the successful bid tenderer to redevelop the Sandstone Precinct on 15 September 2015. Throughout the bid process and since November 2015, Ethos Urban has been the trusted planning consultant on the Sandstone Precinct project.
Throughout many project phases, Ethos Urban has been delivering planning advice and preparing multiple applications to facilitate the construction of Sydney's best luxury hotel precinct.
Image Source: Capella/Timothy Kaye
In August 2015, a delegate of the Minister for Planning granted development consent (SSD 6751) to a Stage 1 Concept Proposal (prepared by Ethos Urban) for the adaptive reuse of the Lands Building and Education Building for tourist and visitor accommodation, and ancillary uses.
The Stage 2 detailed development application was subsequently approved in April 2018 by DPE and granted consent for the detailed delivery of the desired outcome by Pontiac Land Group, being the high-class luxury hotel offering in the heritage listed Sandstone Precinct.
Image Source: Capella/Timothy Kaye
Ethos Urban has been involved in planning advice and the numerous modifications to date to reflect ongoing design development, ensuring that the heritage values and nature of the Sandstone Precinct is retained and celebrated accordingly.
The first stage of the project was completed in early 2023, with the opening of the new Capella Sydney Hotel within the Education Building.
Capella (the former Education Building) opened in March 2023 and has subsequently won the following awards:
- Property Council of Australia 2024 Innovation & Excellence Award for Best Heritage Development
- 2024 UDIA NSW & Urban Property Group Awards for Excellence - Retail Development
- The Urban Developer Development of the Year 2024 - Build-to-Rent, Hotels and Accommodation
- Urban Taskforce Australia Hospitality Development Award 2024
Ethos Urban is continuing to work with Pontiac Land and the builders to achieve the necessary development consents for the former Lands Building, which, once finished will provide for the hotel amenities, plus publicly accessible spaces, including a mix of food and beverage (including a rooftop bar), business suites, event and function rooms.
