Green Light for $300m Ultimo Powerhouse Revitalisation

After nearly a decade of uncertainty, the $300-million revitalisation of Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo has won planning approval.

The project will transform the 146-year-old cultural institution through expanded exhibition spaces and improved connectivity with the Sydney CBD.

Construction is expected to begin mid-year.

The redevelopment will create a public square spanning 2000sq m at the northern end of The Goods Line, reorientate the museum entrance, and conserve the site’s original heritage features while retaining the distinctive roof form of the Wran building.

NSW arts minister John Graham said the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo was a cultural icon of Sydney, renowned for its extraordinary collection and the history of the site’s six buildings.

“With planning approval in place, the museum secures its future as a leading museum of applied arts and sciences with world-class exhibition spaces,” he said.

Planning minister Paul Scully said the redesigned museum would improve visitor experience through new exhibition areas, more public space and better accessibility to surrounding streets.

The revitalisation was expected to inject about $225 million into the economy, create around 755 direct jobs during construction and support over 200 direct and indirect jobs upon reopening.

Three contractors—John Holland Group, Lendlease and Richard Crookes Construction—were invited to tender for the project designed by Durbach Block Jaggers in partnership with Architectus, Youssofzay + Hart and landscape architects Tyrrell Studio.

Site establishment works began in November.

▲ The Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo.

While construction is to begin in mid-2025, the revamped museum is unlikely to open before 2027.

The project represents a shift from the former government’s controversial plan to relocate the institution to Parramatta.

In 2023, the Minns Labor Government opted instead for a “heritage revitalisation” approach, though critics have raised concerns about reduced exhibition space.

The State Significant Development Application, exhibited twice in 2024, provides long-term protections for the site’s continuation as a museum of applied arts and sciences, securing its cultural significance within the Ultimo precinct.