$480 million to transform Sydney’s Powerhouse Ultimo into design and fashion precinct

In what it says will be the state’s biggest investment in the arts since the building of the Sydney Opera House, the NSW Government has announced a $500 million plan to transform the Powerhouse in the inner-city suburb of Ultimo, with the site to be developed into a design museum.

On top of its investment in relocating the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) to Parramatta, the decision to transform Powerhouse Ultimo into a dedicated museum to design and fashion cements the future for the Ultimo site, clearly defines its own place as a world leading design museum.

The investment - along with $1.1 billion already committed to Powerhouse Parramatta - makes it the largest cultural investment NSW has made since the building of Sydney Opera House.

Announcing the development yesterday, NSW Arts Minister, Don Harwin stated “this year's budget will cover the cost of a design competition and approval processes and the government expects when the museum is finished, that operational expenditure will have increased with 100 new jobs in the creative industries funded at the museum.

“Our investment in transforming Powerhouse Ultimo alongside establishing the Powerhouse Parramatta cements Sydney as Australia’s leading cultural destination.

“The updated Powerhouse Ultimo will provide new support to the NSW design and creative industries through skills development, pathways into employment and supported studios and workspaces.”

In a joint media call with the Minister, MAAS Chief Executive, Lisa Havilah explained that with the NSW Government last year committing to the continuation of Powerhouse Ultimo and the new Parramatta institution “our job as the museum was to work through the business case process - what does that actually mean, and how to think about the renewal of the museum in terms of defining how much investment it requires, that brings us to today.”

Advising that parties had gone through an extensive consultative process, she added “(we have) looked at how we provide contemporary experience, and what a museum should be now, and future proof it - it has been a lot of work.”

Minister Harwin went on to say “when the Ultimo project is finished we will not only have a new museum but a great new day and night precinct that will continue the activation of the Southern CBD.

“The transformation of this iconic museum will create an interlinked precinct with the Goods Line, Darling Harbour and the future Tech Central all creating a new public domain. Exhibition spaces will be improved and expanded providing even more access to the extraordinary Powerhouse collection of over 500,000 objects.”

The Powerhouse Renewal incorporates the creation of the flagship Powerhouse Parramatta (which will focus on the intersections and histories of science, technology and creative industries); the reimagining of Powerhouse, Ultimo and the expansion of Museums Discovery Centre, Castle Hill.

A design competition to deliver the Powerhouse Ultimo renewal will be led by Create Infrastructure and the Powerhouse Museum.

The total spend so far on both the Ultimo and Parramatta sites is now about $1.4 billion.

The NSW Government has also been given the green light to relocate the heritage-listed Willow Grove villa to make way for the Parramatta Powerhouse development.

Images: Artists concept for the new Powerhouse Ultimo (top); Lisa Havilah, NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin and Peter Collins with Australian fashion designers and models at yesterday's announcement (middle, credit: Daniel Boud) and (below, rear from left) Edwina Robinson, Alexandra Smart, Camilla Franks, Bianca Spender, Genevieve Smart, Yousef Akbar, (front row from left) Luke Sales, Jordan Gogos, Jenny Kee, Anna Plunkett. Credit: Daniel Boud