One of the world’s most significant new cultural projects, Powerhouse Parramatta, will open in late 2026. Located on the banks of the Parramatta River, the future-focused museum will be a major new landmark for Australia and a global cultural destination for Western Sydney.
The museum is one of the largest cultural infrastructure projects in Australia since the Sydney Opera House, at 30,000 sqm designed by Franco-Japanese architects Moreau Kusunoki (Lead Designer) and Australian architecture firm Genton (Local Architect).
The transformational project is the first state cultural institution to be built in Western Sydney, one of Australia’s fastest growing and most diverse regions. Construction began over four years ago and the main building by delivery partner Lendlease is now complete, with interior exhibition fit outs underway across the site and final works continuing on the public domain.
In preparation for its opening later this year, work is underway on the installation of five major international exhibitions alongside the development of innovative learning, industry and community programs, pioneering a new museum model that will redefine contemporary museum practice and culture.
“The completion of Powerhouse Parramatta is a landmark moment for Western Sydney and a transformative investment in NSW’s future. Its construction completion signals not only the delivery of a world-class cultural institution but a major driver of jobs, opportunity and cultural participation for one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. I congratulate and thank Infrastructure NSW and the Lendlease teams for the delivery of this exceptional new museum,” said Powerhouse Trust President David Borger.
Powerhouse Parramatta features one of the largest column-free exhibition spaces in Australia, with an 18-metre height and spanning more than 2000 square metres. This landmark space will present Task Eternal, an expansive and immersive exhibition exploring humanity’s enduring quest to defy gravity, take flight and journey into space.
Each exhibition space is designed for a dynamic, changing program while significantly expanding public access to the Powerhouse Collection of more than 500,000 objects. Powerhouse Parramatta’s opening exhibition program will be revealed later this year.
Powerhouse Parramatta will serve as a dynamic hub for learning and engagement with the Lang Walker Family Academy, offering immersive education experiences, including overnight residencies for 10,000 secondary students from across regional New South Wales and Western Sydney to stay at the museum each year.
The museum will feature 30 residential studios, bringing together scientists, researchers and artists from Australia and around the world to collaborate with Powerhouse on research and programs. Alongside this, the 200-seat Vitocco Kitchen will embed the science and technology of food into the museum while connecting audiences with the culture and histories of chefs and producers.
A rooftop terrace, with expansive views across Parramatta to the Sydney CBD, features a productive garden with Indigenous plant species, alongside an observatory with telescopes beneath a retractable roof, a greenhouse and the ING Pavilion, which will host talks, workshops and public programs.
Opening with net-zero emissions from day one of operation, the museum is the first public building in Australia and the first project in Western Sydney to be assessed as a 6 Star Designed project under the Green Building Council of Australia’s new Green Star Buildings assessment tool.
It embeds sustainability across its design, operations, and programming – from water harvesting and renewable energy, zero-waste exhibition practices to a productive landscape and Caring for Country principles developed in collaboration with the First Nations communities of Sydney.
“Powerhouse Parramatta is a new generation museum, conceived to redefine the role of cultural institutions in contemporary life. Through its infrastructure and programs, Powerhouse will create a dynamic ecology that will bring together industry and community, present collections, histories, and ideas in new ways. It will be a museum embedded with innate flexibility, with the ability to continuously evolve, changing with the world to ensure that it remains relevant and impactful for generations to come,” said Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah.
Powerhouse Parramatta is proudly funded by the NSW Government, delivered by Infrastructure NSW, constructed by Lendlease and is being realised through the generosity, support and collaboration of foundations, agencies, businesses and individuals for the benefit of NSW communities.
For more information about Powerhouse Parramatta, visit: www.powerhouse.com.au for details.
Image: Powerhouse Parramatta (Drone Image)