Powerhouse, Australia’s largest museum institution dedicated to applied arts design, and technology, has revealed the plans for a comprehensive restoration of its three sites located in Sydney, Australia, in addition to the opening of a new site in Parramatta in Western Sydney in 2025. The Powerhouse Ultimo site contains two heritage-listed buildings: the Ultimo Powerhouse and the Ultimo Post Office. The project for the renovation of this heritage location is led by a team of architects, Durbach Block Jaggers working in partnership with Architectus, Youssofzay + Hart, and landscape architects, Tyrell Studio.
The proposed design aims to revive the former industrial structures and transform them into spaces for exhibitions and museum programming. The revitalization process includes the addition of over 2,000 square meters of public spaces, improvements to the streetscape to accommodate housing for the creative industries within the museum, and new dedicated spaces for the Powerhouse learning program, which offers workshops, events and activities for students and learners of all ages.
The design scheme prioritizes flexibility while ensuring the international standard for exhibition spaces. Large-volume spaces are created, utilizing the potential of the existing structures. These spaces are created through the removal of mezzanines while maintaining the external structure. Back-of-house operational spaces in the museum, including a new landing dock, are provisioned in an area separate from visitor circulation and front-of-the-house spaces to ensure optimal space for museum operations. Additionally, dedicated community and learning spaces are included in the scheme.
By repositioning the museum entrance at the Goods Lane, the visitor circulation is improved, thus contributing to the legibility of spaces throughout. Additional entry points are provided along the surrounding streets. The design also creates additional exterior spaces in the form of a new public square welcoming visitors to the new museum entrance.
In 2022, contemporary art museum Powerhouse Ultimo organized an architectural design competition for the revitalization of its galleries, as part of the New South Wales Government’s substantial investment in the cultural infrastructure. The Australian team comprised of Architectus, Durbach Block Jaggers Architects, Tyrrell Studio, Youssofzay + Hart, Akira Isogawa, Yerrabingin, Finding Infinity, and Arup were announced as the winners, marking the first phase of the development of this large-scale project.
