The construction of the giant exoskeleton structure for Powerhouse Sydney’s new landmark museum development, Powerhouse Parramatta, is currently underway on site.
Designed by Franco-Japanese architects Moreau Kusunoki (lead designer) and Australian architects Genton (local architect), and constructed by Lendlease, Powerhouse Parramatta is Australia’s largest cultural infrastructure development since the Sydney Opera House and will open in 2025. The AUD$915 million project is one of the world’s most significant new museum developments and signifies the first state cultural institution built within Sydney’s most dynamic and culturally diverse region, Western Sydney.
The structure of Powerhouse Parramatta is expressed in three levels of scale and complexity: the white steel latticing that surrounds the building forms both the building’s façade and, crucially, its supporting structure – its exoskeleton.
The lattice design that we refer to as the exoskeleton emerged out of our discussions with the distinguished Tokyo University Professor of Engineering, Jun Sato. The geometry of this lattice structure greatly reduces the amount of material needed to support the building’s physical load, as well as lightening the material presence of the steel. The design highlights the porous relationship with the surrounding neighbourhood. It also serves as a means of keeping the building’s elements at a human scale.
From Moreau Kusunoki’s architectural statement
Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said that architecturally, Powerhouse Parramatta will be one of the great cultural and public buildings of the world.
It is a project that is redefining and rethinking what museums can and should be for their communities and it’s the first time that a major cultural institution will be located within these diverse and growing communities.
For me, the most important part of this project is the generational impact of a piece of incredible public architecture igniting the ambition of a community, of a region, of a city, and I’m excited about what precedent it will set at a national and international level.
About
Lisa Havilah is the Chief Executive of the Powerhouse Sydney, appointed in 2019. Through her visionary leadership she is establishing a new museum paradigm for one of Australia’s oldest and most important cultural institutions. She has held high profile posts in key arts organisations in Australia. She was Director of Campbelltown Arts Centre from 2005–2011 where she pioneered an internationally renowned contemporary arts program that brought together culturally and socially diverse communities and achieved the highest levels of attendance for a New South Wales cultural centre outside of metropolitan Sydney. From 2012–2018 Lisa was the Director of Carriageworks. She is credited for transforming the former Eveleigh Rail Yards into one of Australia’s most iconic multi-arts institutions. Her vision and direction resulted in significant audience and commercial growth from 110,000 in 2012 to 1.327 million in 2017. Havilah developed a distinctive international artistic program that included dance, visual arts, performance, music, film, fashion and a food program that included weekly farmers’ markets, making Carriageworks the fastest growing cultural precinct in Australia and supporting over 800 artists each year. Havilah has contributed to the development of both State and Federal Government Arts Policy including contributing to the authoring of NSW’s first arts and cultural policy – Create In NSW. She served as a member of the City of Sydney Public Art Advisory Panel, is a member of the Lendlease Public Art Advisory Panel and advises Barangaroo Development Authority on their arts and cultural programs and in 2016 was awarded the New South Wales Government’s NSW Creative Laureate award.
Moreau Kusunoki (Powerhouse Parramatta Lead Designer)
Nicolas Moreau and Hiroko Kusunoki founded Moreau Kusunoki in Paris in 2011. Their architecture is rooted in the cultural duality of their origins. They design in the belief that architecture is best conceived in reserve and introspection, allowing for the emergence of poetic visions towards an architectural ‘in-between’: undefined spaces creating the potential for new meaning and personal experiences through user appropriation. At the heart of Moreau Kusunoki’s work lies a deep-rooted interest in the cultural, educational and public spheres. Notable projects include the award-winning proposal for the Guggenheim Helsinki, the new Sciences Po (The Paris Institute of Political Studies) university campus in the centre of Paris, the National Lighthouse Museum in Brest, France, the House of Culture and Memories in French Guiana, South America, and the Powerhouse Parramatta Museum in Sydney, Australia.
Genton (Powerhouse Parramatta Local Architect)
Genton is an Australian architecture and urban design practice. They approach projects across all scales and sectors with a consistent commitment to enhancing the public realm. Taking pride in their collaborative and rigorous design process, they encourage an open exchange of questions and critiques to cultivate the greatest quality of ideas, challenging conventional approaches to different typologies. Genton’s work has received critical acclaim through design competitions and industry awards, nationally and globally; notably winning the coveted Prix Versailles award, crucially highlighting civic infrastructure’s capacity to act as a catalyst for change and enrich the public realm. From their studios in Melbourne and Sydney they deliver innovative design solutions for a diverse range of clients and stakeholders across a broad folio that is united by an ambition to enhance the human experience. Genton is led by Principals Steven Toia, Marc Debney and Jamie McCutcheon.
