Australia’s largest new museum, Powerhouse Parramatta, is set to open in Western Sydney late 2026, marking the country’s most significant cultural infrastructure project since the Sydney Opera House.
The 30,000sqm building, designed by Franco-Japanese architects Moreau Kusunoki and Australian firm Genton, is located in the City of Parramatta on Dharug land. Construction began more than four years ago, with the main building now complete and interior exhibition fit-outs underway.
A New Model for Museum Culture
Powerhouse Parramatta will feature seven large-scale exhibition spaces, learning and digital studios, a cinema, and a theatre for up to 600 people. An extensive rooftop garden, restaurant and cafe will also be part of the offering. Thirty residential studios will bring together scientists, researchers and artists to collaborate with the museum and its communities.
The Lang Walker Family Academy will deliver STEM learning programmes on-site, with accommodation for 60 students and teachers. The Vitocco Family Kitchen, a 200-seat space with a large-scale demonstration kitchen, will showcase food culture and production from chefs and producers across Australia and around the world.
Sustainability at the Core
Powerhouse Parramatta will open with net-zero emissions from day one. It 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.
The museum’s sustainability approach spans water harvesting, renewable energy, zero-waste exhibition practices and Caring for Country principles developed in collaboration with First Nations communities of Sydney. A green landscaped public domain between the museum and the Parramatta River will remain open 24 hours a day and support festival events for audiences of up to 10,000.
Part of a $1.3 Billion Renewal Programme
Powerhouse Parramatta forms part of a $1.3 billion AUD infrastructure renewal programme for the Powerhouse group, which also includes the renewal of the Powerhouse in Ultimo, expanded facilities at Powerhouse Castle Hill, and the ongoing heritage restoration of Sydney Observatory. Powerhouse is Australia’s largest museum group, with origins in the Museum of Applied Arts and Science founded in 1879.
Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said the new museum was “conceived to redefine the role of cultural institutions in contemporary life.” Havilah added that the project would create “a dynamic ecology that will bring together industry and community, present collections, histories, and ideas in new ways.”
The museum is funded by the NSW Government and supported through foundations, agencies, businesses and individuals.
