Powerhouse Parramatta Opens on 7 November: A Museum Wrapped in Steel

Powerhouse Parramatta, designed by French-Japanese architecture studio Moreau Kusunoki and Australian firm Genton, will open on 7 November 2026 in Parramatta, western Sydney. At approximately 30,000 square metres, the museum is described as one of the largest cultural infrastructure projects undertaken in Australia since the Sydney Opera House. Its defining feature, a steel lattice, forms the exterior façade while also serving as part of the building’s structural system.

How does the lattice façade shape the exhibition spaces?

The museum consists of two blocks linked on the upper floors. A three-layer steel lattice wraps around them, referencing both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the area’s industrial and manufacturing history, according to the design team. By also acting as a structural element, the lattice reduces the need for interior columns, creating expansive spaces that can accommodate different exhibition layouts.

The main exhibition space is 18 metres high and spans more than 2,000 square metres. Five sections of a mechanically operated lift door can open the space onto a riverside terrace. The museum also includes seven conventional exhibition spaces, 30 residential studios, co-working spaces and community-focused learning areas.

Exhibitions and public spaces

Five exhibitions will be part of the opening programme. They include Task Eternal, designed by Open Architecture, which explores humanity’s journey into space. The museum plans to hold 179 events over a three-week programme following the opening; ArchDaily, meanwhile, describes the opening festival as a 23-day programme.

The two blocks sit on either side of a riverside terrace at ground level. The terrace is set above a garden that slopes towards the river. Two-thirds of the museum site is reportedly dedicated to landscaped public space, with native plants selected under the guidance of the local First Nations community. A rooftop garden and greenhouse have also been designed, along with an observatory featuring telescopes and a retractable roof. ING Garden Pavilion will host talks, workshops and community programmes.

Natural light and sustainability

Much of the façade behind the lattice is glazed. The design treats these in-between spaces through the Japanese concept of “mâ”, which focuses on the gaps between people, objects and time. Facing the river and the horizon, these daylit spaces have a more permeable character than the exhibition areas. Interior walls feature glass fibre-reinforced concrete panels with varied textures; finishes include quartz aggregate, concrete with a water-glass finish and handcrafted oyster-shell plaster.

The project was designed with a net-zero carbon target. Renewable energy and water systems, along with a zero-waste approach to exhibitions, are presented as part of its sustainability plan. According to Dezeen, the building is the first Australian public building to receive a 6 Star Designed rating under the Green Building Council of Australia’s new Green Star Buildings assessment tool.

Why it matters to architecture and visualisation teams

Powerhouse Parramatta shows how integrating the structural system with the façade design can make large-span exhibition spaces possible. For architecture and visualisation teams, the structural rhythm of the steel lattice, the glazed in-between spaces and the changing exhibition layouts offer a notable example of how to bring the relationships between façade, light and interior space into a single narrative. The way the terrace, garden and exhibition spaces open onto one another also demonstrates how public space can be designed as part of a building’s programme.

The sources do not provide information about the software used, hardware requirements, file compatibility or licensing terms. The project therefore stands out not as a technical announcement about a specific production tool, but as an example to examine through its architectural spatial organisation and the relationship between structure and façade.