Powerhouse Precinct at Parramatta
On 28 April 2018, the NSW Government announced the relocation of the Powerhouse Museum to Parramatta. A new Powerhouse Precinct at Parramatta will feature the largest museum in NSW and be home to Australia’s largest planetarium.
Incorporating public spaces, a pedestrian bridge and the new museum, the Powerhouse Precinct at Parramatta will further enrich the heart and soul of Parramatta. It will be a place to celebrate and drive cultural creativity, fuel collaboration and inspire new ideas.
The transformation and renewal of one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions will set an international benchmark in cultural precinct design that will carry the legacy of the museum forward. The Powerhouse Precinct at Parramatta will be the sixth occasion that the museum has moved and transformed in response to the needs of a changing city.
International Design Competition
In January 2019, an open, global search was launched for teams with exceptional skills in design and placemaking. Endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), the open, two-stage competition welcomed Australian and international design teams and strongly encouraged creative and intellectual collaborations between established and emerging talent.
The first stage of the competition attracted 74 submissions from 20 countries, made up of 529 individual firms from five continents. The six finalist international-Australian and Australian teams in alphabetical order are:
- AL_A (UK) and Architectus (Australia)
- Bernardes Architecture (Brazil) and Scale Architecture (Australia)
- BVN Architecture (Australia) and Carlo Ratti Associati (Italy)
- CHROFI (Australia) with Reko Rennie (Australia)
- Moreau Kusunoki (France) and Genton (Australia)
- Steven Holl Architects (United States) and Conrad Gargett (Australia)