Western Sydney’s first state cultural institution Powerhouse Parramatta will open to the public on November 7.
At 30,000 sqm, the $915 million Powerhouse Parramatta is the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia since the Sydney Opera House.
The museum and cultural space features one of the largest column-free exhibition spaces in Australia, spanning more than 2000 sqm with an 18-metre height.
A rooftop terrace, with expansive views across Parramatta to the Sydney CBD, features a productive garden with Indigenous plant species, alongside an observatory and the ING Pavilion, which will host talks, workshops and public programs.
NSW Arts Minister John Graham said it was “a big moment for arts and culture in the west of Sydney”.
“There’s no easy way to build new cultural institutions, just as the building of the Opera House was controversial,” he said.
“As it proceeded, when the doors swung open, no-one was in doubt that this was an incredible addition to our city.
“I think the reaction from the public will be the same as they see this incredible building on the banks of the river right in the heart of Parramatta.”
The first five exhibitions will showcase more than 3,000 objects, with more than 1,600 from the Powerhouse’s own collection, with others sourced from collections around the world.
The first exhibition, Task Eternal, will explore humanity’s enduring quest to defy gravity, take flight and journey into space and include the historic Qantas Avro 504k aircraft.
Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havilah said it “is a museum built for the future”.
“We are thrilled to be opening our doors this November with five world-class exhibitions and a program that is as bold and diverse as the communities it serves,” she said.
