Architects Vie for $500m Ultimo Museum Renewal

The NSW government’s design competition for the redesign of the Powerhouse Ultimo museum has begun. 

The government will invest between $480 million and $500 million in redeveloping and renewing the museum in Sydney’s CBD. 

It was initially planned that the Powerhouse museum, housed in part in a former power station, would move to Parramatta—where an entire new museum space will be now be built—but public outcry in 2020 stopped that plan.

Under the plans, the 2.4ha Ultimo site will gain a new entrance, a public square and a multi-storey annex on the museum’s Harris Street forecourt.

The Powerhouse Museum is made up of two state heritage-listed buildings, the Ultimo Power House (1899) and the former Ultimo Post Office (1901) with an extension to the two, the Wran Building, built in 1988.

The project will mostly focus on the first two buildings that are located north of Macarthur Street but architects will be able to modify the design for the Wran Building as well.

The Wran Building was designed by state government architect Ian Thompson—the design won the Sulman Medal, NSW’s highest honour for public architecture. 

Architects may also get to go beyond current limits as an allocation of up to 10 per cent additional building height was included in the Design Excellence Strategy submitted as part of the concept state significant development application.

The application is now on exhibition for public comment.

▲ The Powerhouse Ultimo museum in Sydney's CBD.

Create NSW’s interim chief executive Annette Pitman said the plan for the new museum would include new galleries for design and fashion, and more support for creative industries. 

“The renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo presents a city-shaping opportunity for an Australian architect to reimagine one of the country’s most revered cultural institutions through new and expanded exhibition and public space, including the delivery of Australia’s first dedicated design and fashion galleries,” said Pitman.

Powerhouse chief executive Lisa Havilah said the registration of interest would then be followed by a period where architects would be invited to submit expressions of interest and then a design competition in August. 

“This design competition will compel architects to engage with the stories of ingenuity and innovation powering local contemporary design and fashion industries,” Havilah said. 

“Their task is to integrate working precincts with embedded creative industries and world-class learning, research and community facilities in a contemporary museum context.”

The project is scheduled for completion in 2027. 

Paris-based architect Moreau Kusunoki and Sydney-based architectural firm Genton have designed the Powerhouse Parramatta, on which the NSW government has so far spent $200 million, its largest cultural infrastructure expenditure since the Sydney Opera House.

It paid $140 million for the 2.5ha site in Parramatta. 

Lendlease's original $400-million tender to build the Powerhouse Parramatta in September 2021 had by November 2021 risen to $553 million.

Philanthrophic donations towards building and program costs so far total $30 million with Lang Walker donating $20 million and Western Sydney University adding $10 million.