Powerhouse Parramatta, one of Australia’s most significant new museum developments, will open to the public on November 7, 2026, featuring five major exhibitions and a programme spanning science, technology, engineering, art and design.
Located on the Parramatta River, the AU$915 million museum
is the largest cultural development in Australia since the Sydney Opera House.
Designed by Moreau Kusunoki, Genton and Arup, the
30,000-square-metre facility will showcase more than 3,000 objects, including
1,600 from the Powerhouse Collection, alongside international loans and more
than 45 new commissions from 14 countries.
Three opening exhibitions have been announced.
Task Eternal, designed by OPEN Architecture, explores
humanity’s pursuit of flight and aerospace innovation through more than 850
objects, including loans from NASA, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
and the British Museum.
Highlights include
the Australian-invented flight recorder and James Turrell’s immersive work
Shangri La (Over the Hump) (2026).
The Mall, designed and curated with OMA/AMO, examines the
evolution of shopping centres and their influence on architecture, retail
culture and civic life.
It will feature more than 560 Powerhouse objects,
international loans and 18 new commissions.
Designed by theatre director Kip Williams and artist
Elizabeth Gadsby, The Dark offers a different approach to children’s
exhibitions, encouraging young visitors to explore perception and engage with
challenging ideas through an immersive meteorite-inspired environment.
Powerhouse Parramatta will also feature public programmes,
festivals, restaurants, cafes, a rooftop observatory and Indigenous garden.
The Lang Walker Family Academy will provide residential
learning opportunities for up to 10,000 students annually.
Powerhouse CEO Lisa Havliah said: “Powerhouse Parramatta is a museum built for the future, where local knowledge meets global perspectives. We are thrilled to be opening our doors this November with five world-class exhibitions and a programme that is as bold and diverse as the communities it serves.”
The museum forms part of Powerhouse’s AU1.3 billion ($932 million) infrastructure renewal programme across Sydney. -TradeArabia News Service
