Doors Open to $915m Museum Rewriting Parramatta’s Riverfront

Sydney’s $915-million Powerhouse Parramatta will open its doors amid an ICAC referral and the absence of its stood-down chief executive. The opening on Saturday, November 7, comes after a four-year build under an international and Australian architectural and engineering team . The museum comprises two structures with 18,000sq m of exhibition space and joined by an internal bridge. Architect Nicolas Moreau of Moreau Kusunoki said that the buildings’ lattice exoskeleton looked “simple and repetitive.” “It isn’t. It’s a nightmare [to build],” Moreau said. ▲ A lattice web encases the museum, acting as facade and structural support. Architect Hiroko Kusunoki of Moreau Kusunoki said that the structural support provided by the exoskeleton helped minimise the footprint of the buildings. “To liberate maximum space left to the neighborhood, so that they can come to the riverbank and continue their life of everyday.” That structural support also removes the need for internal columns, allowing the building to have interior sightlines and exhibition space and to be used flexibly. A 60m long and 10m high “megadoor” can be lifted in its entirety, opening the ground floor of one of the structures towards the Parramatta River. A residential component is also included, comprising 30 apartments for visiting researchers and artists, and a 60-bed dormitory for school camps. ▲ The Powerhouse dormitories may see Questacon finally dethroned as the quintessential school trip destination. Japanese influence on open space, palette Moreau said that the project’s design was heavily influenced by the Japanese concept of Ma, or vacancy. Ma is a “void which is not an empty space,” Moreau said. “It’s a space of breathing, a space of living, a space where everyone can project their own ambitions and their own emotion.” Genton architect Steven Toia said that two-thirds of the site was now public open space. ▲ Bauhaus principles inspired the design of transportable stools which invite visitors to move, pause and reflect at their own pace. A cavernous undercroft beneath the structures is “designed to accommodate any potential flood risk safely and effectively,” Toia said. “The site is porous both visually for people and for flood water if needed.” A grey, calming palette was deployed throughout the interiors, with textures including a quartz composite and a render which incorporates oyster shells. Chief executive Havilah missing The initial build cost of the structures was $400 million when awarded to Lendlease in 2021 . Other items have been rolled into the project’s $915-million budget, included $44 million on a new storage facility and $67 million on digitisation, as well as architects’ fees, fitout and exhibition costs, and site acquisition. The museum’s site was a former David Jones carpark, reportedly described by Bob Carr as the ugliest building on the Parramatta River. The NSW Government purchased the site in 2019 for $144 million. ▲ Separating the museum into two structures allows a ‘civic link’ pedestrian passage between the CBD and the river. While the state said that the budget has been met, Powerhouse chief executive Lisa Havilah has been stood down and the project referred to ICAC. Havilah did not attend a launch event on Friday, November 6. NSW Government Architect Abbie Galvin is acting as an interim replacement. Meanwhile, a $300-million revamp of the original Powerhouse at Ultimo is to proceed after a decade-long battle to prevent the facility from being sold off and replaced by the Parramatta site. ▲ The project has added a garden, astronomical telescope, and events space to the Parramatta skyline. And about 500m from the Powerhouse Parramatta, the Riverside Theatre is progressing its own $244-million redevelopment . The Powerhouse, also known as the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, was founded in 1879 as part of the Sydney International Exhibition. The institution holds exhibitions and researches on Australian and international design, technology and culture .

Social Infrastructure
Patrick Lau
Fri 06 Nov 26

Doors Open to $915m Museum Rewriting Parramatta’s Riverfront

Development Potential

VIEW LISTING

Friction Grows as Public Art Levies Jack Up Project Costs

No Walk-Ins: Private Clubs Create Fresh Future in Corporate World

Hold, Don’t Fold: Developers Keep the Faith as Lenders Double Down

Office’s Comeback Stalls, But Smart Money Isn’t Blinking

Why the Willy Wonka of Hotels Keeps Buying the Hardest Assets

TUD+ Briefing | Victoria’s New Infrastructure Contributions Regime

Free Webinar | Project Marketing Strategies in a Softening Sales Environment

A Developer’s Guide to Granny Flats

The Deal with Adam Di Marco: The State of Private Credit in Australia | Michael Hynes, Stamford Capital

Clarence Property Trades $38m in Industrial for Its Next Big Play

Minns’ Plan to Shift Infrastructure Payments Sparks War of Words