The new Powerhouse Parramatta in western Sydney has been described as architecturally ‘magnificent’ with ‘astounding’ opening exhibitions. The museum opens to the public on 7 November. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian View image in fullscreen The new Powerhouse Parramatta in western Sydney has been described as architecturally ‘magnificent’ with ‘astounding’ opening exhibitions. The museum opens to the public on 7 November. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian Museums Powerhouse Parramatta opens this weekend – and it’s dazzling inside and out Coups de théâtre abound in the $915m addition to western Sydney’s skyline, which opens on Saturday with five new exhibitions – and a 23-day festival
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Dubbed the “Opera House of western Sydney”, Powerhouse Parramatta’s white lattice exoskeleton, composed from 1,300 individual pieces and wrapping 30,000 sq metres of interior space, has already become a familiar landmark.
Even better known, perhaps, is the project’s controversial history . Since the Parramatta outpost was announced in 2014, a vocal group of dissenters led by former staff and trustees has lamented what they see as the neglect of the museum’s Ultimo site in favour of a new infrastructure project, and what they say is a shift away from the museum’s core business towards contemporary art and events.
The eye-watering price tag – $915m, in an era of funding precarity for the arts – has also come under scrutiny, culminating in a New South Wales Treasury investigation into allegations over the museum’s governance and procurement practices. In late August, 10 weeks from the scheduled opening, CEO Lisa Havilah was stood down while the investigation unfolded.
View image in fullscreen Task Eternal is the Powerhouse Parramatta’s flagship opening exhibition – a celebration of flight and space travel. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian When the major new venue opens to the public on Saturday, the big question will be: was it worth it? What will it bring to Parramatta – and will it be enough to bring the rest of Sydney, and the rest of Australia, out west?
Powerhouse is sweetening the pot with a 23-day opening festival of performances, parties, talks, screenings and workshops, with 65% of the program free. When Guardian Australia visited last week, the space was crowded with installation crew in hi-vis, hard hats and steel-capped boots. But even with its exhibitions in various states of readiness, it was hard not to be dazzled.
The steel exoskeleton that has been such a prominent addition to Parramatta’s skyline is more than decorative. Encasing two towers, and built from 12,000 tonnes of steel, it’s what allows the building to boast massive column-free exhibition spaces up to 18m in height, including the largest in Australia.
But at first encounter, perhaps the most striking thing about the Moreau Kusunoki and Genton-designed building is the sense of calm it evokes. This is a building that is constantly calling you to slow down, take a breath and look beyond its architecture to the city, landscape and Parramatta River below.
View image in fullscreen ‘This is a building that is constantly calling you to slow down, take a breath and look beyond.’ Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian The glass facade and abundance of natural light is complemented by an airy colour palette, all creams, white and light greys – including interior walls covered in a pale, textured ren…