Powerhouse will unveil a new state-of-the-art building housing its internationally renowned collection and supporting conservation, research, exhibitions and learning programs when it opens Powerhouse Castle Hill in North West Sydney on March 23 and 24, 2024.
The opening weekend will feature free, family-friendly programming. This will include the premiere of First Nations exhibition ‘Alchemy’, artist talks, behind the scenes architectural tours and performances by musicians, DJs and dancers including First Nations Jannawi Dance Clan, Sydney Youth Orchestra and one of Australia’s oldest lion and dragon dancing troupes, Jin Wu Koon.
Plus food, masterclasses and programs presented by TAFE NSW.
Designed by Sydney-based Lahznimmo Architects and built by Australian construction company Taylor, the $44 million facility will be used for the display, storage and conservation of the more than 500,000 permanent objects in the museum’s collection.
This is the first time in the museum’s 140-year history that the entire collection will be stored in one location and co-located alongside conservation, curatorial and collection management staff.
At more than 8,000sqm, Powerhouse Castle Hill is significantly larger than the basement storage that was previously used by the museum in the Harwood building in Ultimo.
The building boasts a “visible store,” a six-metre high and 20m long window allowing public viewing into the 3,000sqm Very Large Object storage area.
Powerhouse Castle Hill also features flexible spaces for education and public programs, workshops, talks, exhibitions and events as well as working spaces for academic researchers, scientists, industry partners and the public.
The opening of the building is the latest evolution of the site, which was originally a botanical research station for the museum after staff planted many Eucalypts and Melaleuca trees in the 1940s. These trees were used for Eucalyptus oil experiments and distillation in the early days of the Powerhouse Museum. From the late 1970s, the Powerhouse started storing some of its collection at Castle Hill. In recent years, this facility became shared storage known as the Museums Discovery Centre for collection objects from the Powerhouse, the Australian Museum and Museums of History NSW. The new Powerhouse Castle Hill building sits alongside the Museums Discovery Centre.
The expansion of Castle Hill is an integral component of the $1.2 billion renewal of the Powerhouse which includes the new flagship museum currently under construction, Powerhouse Parramatta. Designed by French-Japanese architects Moreau Kusunoki with Australian architects Genton, Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest cultural infrastructure development since the Sydney Opera House.
This post was produced by our newsroom.