A state significant development application has been submitted for the $250 million heritage renewal of Powerhouse Ultimo, designed by Durbach Block Jaggers, Architectus and Tyrrell Studio.
The renewal will allow the museum to accommodate international exhibitions and increase access to the Powerhouse collection of more than 500,000 objects.
The design will continue the adaptive reuse legacy of Powerhouse Ultimo, transforming a historic power station into a permanent home for the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Opened in 1988, the museum was one of a host of projects completed for the bicentenary of European settlement in Australia.
In its architectural design report, the architects said, “The design team further recognise that the Australian and Sydney cultural environment has also changed significantly from a celebration of European settlement in 1988 to a much more inclusive and diverse perspective on what it is to
be Australian and what elements of Australia are to be celebrated.”
A courtyard at level one will reveal the heritage facade of Switch House.
Image:
Durbach Block Jaggers
The project will deliver flexible, international standard exhibition spaces, as well as create a porous and connected precinct.
The museum’s main public entrance will be reoriented towards the nearby Goods Line, with a large public terrace, reinstating a primary heritage elevation as the public face of the museum.
Intrusive additions to the heritage facades will be removed. The mezzanines inside the original Turbine Hall and the 1988 Wran building will also be removed to create new exhibition spaces.
A new addition will activate Harris Street, with creative industry studios and potential retail spaces. A secondary entrance will also be created on Harris Street, which will adjoin a covered colonnade.
A courtyard at level one will connect to mid-level Macarthur Street and also reveal a full two-storey facade of Switch House.
A second courtyard space will connect the Wran building to the former Ultimo Post Office, which will also be adapted for museum use.
A secondary entrance will be created on Harris Street.
Image:
Durbach Block Jaggers
Circulation around the museum will also be centralised, which will support the visitor experience with an intuitive and accessible circulation system to the exhibition, program and education spaces.
“The design addresses specific community and stakeholder feedback through extending the lifespan of the built form, acknowledging and celebrating the social significance of the Wran Building, addressing circulation and legibility and improving sustainability,” said Powerhouse Museum Ultimo chief executive Lisa Havilah.
“This revitalisation will celebrate the best of the museum’s past while adding new and enhanced exhibition and programming spaces, along with educational spaces for future generations to engage with the applied arts and sciences.”
The new built form will be made using materials sympathetic to the existing heritage fabric, including a mix of recycled and new bricks, brick slips, stone, ceramics, glass, metal cladding, and concrete.
“The design demonstrates how the museum will be revitalised, whilst maintaining the heritage and character of the buildings,” said Minister for Lands and Property Steve Camper.
The state significant development application is on exhibition until 30 May.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
