Parra News March 12 2024

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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POWERHOUSE CASTLE HILL • WWW.POWERHOUSE.COM.AU/VISIT/CASTLE-HILL
Powerhouse unveils new home
Powerhouse will unveil a new
state-of-the-art building
housing its internationally
renowned collection and supporting
conservation, research, exhibitions
and learning programs when
it opens Powerhouse Castle Hill in
North West Sydney on March 23
and 24, 2024.
The opening weekend will feature
free, family-friendly programming.
This will include the premiere of
First Nations exhibition ‘Alchemy’,
artist talks, behind the scenes architectural
tours and performances by
musicians, DJs and dancers including
First Nations Jannawi Dance
Clan, Sydney Youth Orchestra and
one of Australia’s oldest lion and
dragon dancing troupes, Jin Wu
Koon.
Plus food, masterclasses and
programs presented by TAFE NSW.
Designed by Sydney-based
Lahznimmo Architects and built by
Australian construction company
Taylor, the $44 million facility will
be used for the display, storage
and conservation of the more than
500,000 permanent objects in the
museum’s collection.
This is the first time in the museum’s
140-year history that the entire
collection will be stored in one
Jannawi Dance Clan will be part of the opening celebrations.
location and co-located alongside
conservation, curatorial and collection
management staff.
At more than 8,000sqm, Powerhouse
Castle Hill is significantly
larger than the basement storage
that was previously used by the
museum in the Harwood building
in Ultimo.
The building boasts a “visible
store,” a six-metre high and 20m
long window allowing public viewing
into the 3,000sqm Very Large
Object storage area.
Powerhouse Castle Hill also
features flexible spaces for
education and public programs,
workshops, talks, exhibitions and
events as well as working spaces for
academic researchers, scientists,
industry partners and the public.
The opening of the building is the
latest evolution of the site, which
was originally a botanical research
station for the museum after staff
planted many Eucalypts and
Melaleuca trees in the 1940s. These
trees were used for Eucalyptus oil
experiments and distillation in
the early days of the Powerhouse
Museum. From the late 1970s, the
Powerhouse started storing some of
its collection at Castle Hill. In recent
years, this facility became shared
storage known as the Museums
Discovery Centre for collection
objects from the Powerhouse, the
Australian Museum and Museums
of History NSW. The new Powerhouse
Castle Hill building sits
alongside the Museums Discovery
Centre.
The expansion of Castle Hill is
an integral component of the $1.2
billion renewal of the Powerhouse
which includes the new flagship
museum currently under construction,
Powerhouse Parramatta.
Designed by French-Japanese
architects Moreau Kusunoki with
Australian architects Genton,
Powerhouse Parramatta is the
largest cultural infrastructure
development since the Sydney
Opera House.
PN53266
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