Sydney's Powerhouse Parramatta opens tomorrow, Australia's biggest cultural project since the Opera House, at A$915 million

Powerhouse Parramatta opens to the public on Saturday, November 7. The new museum on the banks of the Parramatta River cost A$915 million (about US$641 million) and is described by the New South Wales Government as the largest cultural infrastructure project in Australia since the Sydney Opera House, as well as the first state cultural institution in Western Sydney. It launches with five exhibitions and a 23-day opening festival.

18,000 square metres, 3,000-plus objects, five opening exhibitions

Designed by Franco-Japanese practice Moreau Kusunoki with Australian firm Genton, the building wraps two large volumes in a white structural lattice along the river. It offers more than 18,000 square metres of public and exhibition space, with over 3,000 objects on display for the opening. The five inaugural exhibitions are Task Eternal, on aviation and space exploration (with the Smithsonian and the British Museum, in an 18-metre-high, roughly 2,000-square-metre column-free hall); Es Devlin's The Turning; James Turrell's light installation Shangri La; The Mall, on shopping centres; and Overflow, on water country from First Nations perspectives. A children's experience, The Dark, opens alongside them.

Free general admission; 179 events over the 23-day festival

General admission is free, though bookings are required for the opening weekend. Task Eternal costs A$30 for visitors over 16, and the Turrell installation starts at A$10. The 23-day opening festival features 179 events, including talks, workshops, music and performances, with Space Shuttle astronaut Charles Bolden among the speakers.

Announced in 2019, due in 2025; chief executive left in August

The project was announced in 2019 and construction began in 2022, with the opening originally expected in 2025; the main building was completed earlier this year, clearing the way for this weekend's launch. It has been dogged by controversy over the years, including parliamentary inquiries and leadership changes; chief executive Lisa Havilah stepped down in August over allegations of misconduct. The former home in Ultimo closed in 2024 and is undergoing an A$300 million heritage revitalisation.

(Sources: ArchDaily, Designboom, The Art Newspaper, Broadsheet, November 6, 2026.)