Guided Tours of The Lands by Capella

Explore the newly opened The Lands by Capella in a one-hour guided tour that shares stories of the site’s unique heritage and showcases the transformed spaces within the historic Department of Lands building.

Constructed in the 1870s by Colonial Architect James Barnet as the Department of Lands headquarters, this long-unused treasured heritage building has been reimagined as luxury event spaces by Hassell Studio in collaboration with Heritage Architects Purcell, who provided heritage conservation guidance on the interiors.

The adaptive reuse of the Department of Lands building is grounded in the principle of making ‘the proposed use fit the building, not the building fit the use’. This nuanced approach enabled the Hassell team to shape a dynamic, hospitality-led destination that preserves the building’s architectural legacy.

Internally, the grandeur of original elements, from arched windows and black-and-white marble corridors to vast timber doors and ornate wainscoting, has been meticulously restored. These heritage features are complemented by contemporary insertions that create a respectful dialogue between past and present.