The largest museum in New South Wales has reached its maximum height as the expansion of one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions gathers momentum.

And the steel exoskeleton that wraps around the building has been completed.

On Friday, the expanded Powerhouse Parramatta topped out at its expected height of 75 meters.

Set to open in late 2026, Powerhouse Parramatta is expected to attract up to 2 million visitors per year and will house more than 18,000 square meters of exhibition space.

It will deliver a world class cultural institution in the heart of Sydney’s fast growing western suburbs and will help to drive cultural and economic growth across the region.

It will serve as the largest complex within the Powerhouse Museum – a collection of museums in Sydney that is owned by the NSW Government and has existed in various forms since originally opening as the Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum in 1879.

With a large focus on the impact of applied arts and sciences on our world through technology, innovation, design and engineering, the collection of museums is recognised internationally as one of the great repositories of innovation and achievement.

Features of the new museum’s design include:

  • More than 180,000 sqm of public and exhibition space which rises to seven stories across two wings.
  • A large enabling steel ecosystem design that will give the museum its striking appearance and will enable the museum’s 7 exhibition spaces to be free of columns.
  • A high-quality built form and landscape design with close connection to the foreshore of Parramatta River
  • Designed to be the first public building to achieve 6 Star Green Star ratings from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Construction began in 2022 and is being undertaken by Lend Lease.

The museum was designed by Moreau Kusunoki (lead architect) and Genton (local design architect).

To date, more than 1.45 million on site hours have been completed by a 2,500 strong workforce.

Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The facility will be handed over to the Powerhouse Museum for exhibition fit out ahead of opening to the public in late 2026.

NSW Premier Chris Minns welcomed the latest progress.

“Powerhouse Parramatta is a once-in-a-generation investment in Western Sydney’s cultural lifeblood – inspiring young minds, creating local jobs, and bringing world-class exhibitions right to the heart of Parramatta,” Minns said.

 

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