Canva to open new flagship Sydney campus

Online graphic design platform, Canva is set to open a new flagship Sydney-based campus which will accommodate over 1500 staff.

The Australian company said it purchased the 12,000 m2 office building in Surry Hills towards the end of last year. 

The new space will house 920 desks plus additional community spaces, a gym and more spaces for team and community events. 

The company said the space is set to open in 2026 and “will support our continued growth as we double down on fuelling visual communication in teams and workplaces around the world.”

Canva said as it grows it is “also expanding our physical spaces to continue creating a hybrid environment.”

The past year saw the team onboard 1128 new ‘canvanauts’, bringing its global team to more than 4000 people.

“This past year saw us open a number of new campuses across the globe, including in Austin and Melbourne, and our first European campus in London,” the company said in a statement.

The overall design of the building aims to reuse the existing building as much as possible to meet current standards or optimise sustainability.

“We’re disconnecting gas, powering all energy usage with renewable electricity and introducing a green roof to foster biodiversity and generate green energy.

“Promoting and nurturing connection with local communities has also been an important part of how we’ve designed our existing spaces. 

“To continue this, our new Sydney Campus will feature various communal areas for cafes, bars, outdoor spaces, events, volunteering, and collaborative work with the goal of bringing our teams and community together.”

The new campus will also be home to child-friendly zones, replace 55 car spaces with a gym, bike parking, e-charging stations, and end-of-trip facilities and establish wellness spaces for fitness and meditation.

The company said it’ll “continue to open our doors to the public” and plans include a rooftop garden. 

“As we work through the construction phase of this new campus, we’re spending time learning from members of First Nations communities, including the team at Indigenous design consultancy Yerrabingin, to ensure we’re using First Nations principles to inform the design of the space. 

“We also plan on filling the campus walls with murals and works from local galleries, including First Nations artists,” the statement said.