Powerhouse Castle Hill has opened its doors with a weekend of community celebrations, offering special behind-the-scenes tours of its new $44 million state-of-the-art storage facility.
Powerhouse Castle Hill was developed through a partnership between Create NSW, NSW Public Works, and the Powerhouse. The opening was officiated by NSW Minister for Arts and Tourism John Graham.
Designed by Lahznimmo Architects and built by Taylor Construction, it is now the new home for the storage, conservation, and display of the Powerhouse Collection — which includes over 500,000 objects.
It marks the first time in the museum’s 140-year history that the collection is stored in one location, alongside conservation, curatorial, and collection management staff.
Powerhouse Trust President Peter Collins AM KC said: “The Powerhouse has a long history in Castle Hill, and we are excited to show the community inside our beautiful new built-for-purpose storehouse and public exhibition space, Powerhouse Castle Hill.”
The building, constructed to international museum standards, features a visible store allowing public viewing into the 3,000 square metre Large Object storage area.
It also boasts one of the southern hemisphere’s largest photographic cycloramas for object digitisation.
Powerhouse Castle Hill provides public access to education programs, workshops, talks, exhibitions, and other events, as well as working spaces for researchers, scientists, and industry partners.
The opening is part of the $1.2 billion renewal of the Powerhouse, which includes Powerhouse Parramatta — currently under construction — and the heritage revitalisation of the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo.
Minister John Graham said: “Powerhouse Castle Hill will provide an exceptional facility to care for the renowned and beloved collection held by the museum. Importantly, it also increases the community’s access to cultural infrastructure and arts programming in Sydney’s north-west.”
