First glimpse at plans for Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo

Design guidelines now on public exhibition give the first glimpse at what planners may have in store for a renewal of the 2.4-hectare site.

Concept plans for the $500 million Powerhouse Museum renovations at Ultimo foreshadow a new entrance,public square and a multistorey annex to be built on the museum’s Harris Street forecourt.

Architects would also have scope to modify,or redevelop,the 1988 extension to the collection of heritage-listed Power House buildings known as the Wran Building.

An artist’s impression of the new entrance and public square at the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo.

An artist’s impression of the new entrance and public square at the Powerhouse Museum at Ultimo.

The Perrottet government has not ruled out the eventual removal of the glass arch facade and galleria – examples of 1980s architecture – which serves as the museum’s Harris Street entrance and currently houses the museum’s priceless collection of steam engine technology.

Design guidelines on public exhibition give the first glimpse at what planners may have in store for the 2.4 hectare site,home of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences since 1988.

The redevelopment is expected to be complete by 2027,with architects to register interest this week ahead of a national design competition to be called some time in August.

Last year,thegovernment pledged $500 million to its renewal after it heeded public protests and reversed its decision to shut the museum entirely and relocate it to Parramatta.

The site comprises a cluster of heritage-listed buildings that formed the Ultimo Power House and the old post office,and an arch-back extension on Harris Street that went up in the same era as Darling Harbour and the National Maritime Museum.

Documents produced for the concept environment impact statement were released for public comment last week. Though not prescribing any specific proposal,they point to a planning process similar to that adopted for the $915 million Parramatta Powerhouse.

Artist’s impression of the visual impact of the maximum building envelope proposed for architects scoping the Powerhouse Museum site at Ultimo.

Artist’s impression of the visual impact of the maximum building envelope proposed for architects scoping the Powerhouse Museum site at Ultimo.From EIS,Department of Planning

Design guidelines for the Parramatta headquarters placed importance on the riverside site and civic link and did not specify retention of the historic home of Willow Grove,which was subsequently dismantled.

At Ultimo,it is proposed that the museum’s front door is switched from Harris Street to the Goods Line,fronting the light rail line and Chinatown,with a public square to invite visitors inside.

Maximum building heights are to be lifted well above existing planning consents,and the existing roofline along the museum’s Harris Street boundary extended above the museum’s empty forecourt.

Reference architectural plans prepared by John Wardle Architects show a six- to seven-storey addition to the museum,with presentation spaces,a loading dock and two basement floors,tall enough to cause overshadowing.

A separate conservation management plan protects the Ultimo Power House and former Ultimo Post Office buildings,which are both listed on the NSW State Heritage Register and reminders of Sydney’s rich industrial past. It ranks the newer Wran building extension,with its arched steel roof and glazed facades,as having only moderate significance.

It states unsympathetic changes had diminished the original architectural intent to the extent that it no longer represented the original flow and design of the building. The extension turned its back on the old post office,disconnecting it from the heritage core,and offered no public interaction with Harris Street.

Redevelopment provided opportunities for these changes to be removed and the building’s original fabric and form reinstated,the assessment said.

The Post Office building stands at the rear of the Wran Building.

The Post Office building stands at the rear of the Wran Building.Brook Mitchell

Successful renewals of historic buildings are cited for inspiration including the conversion of the Bankside Power Station into Tate Modern.

The documents say a revitalised Powerhouse Ultimo would add presentation spaces,improve visual connection between the buildings,and increase visitation and public access.

Asked if proposed design guidelines allow for demolition of any buildings,a spokesperson for Create NSW,the government’s arts agency,said the Environmental Impact Statement and design guidelines sought approval for a maximum building envelope that would inform the national design competition.

This scoping would establish development controls for the site and be subject to a future development application with opportunity for public input.

Following the design competition,the detailed design,construction and operation of buildings and public domain spaces would be separately assessed.

A cultural guide to going out and loving your city.Sign up to our Culture Fix newsletter here.

Linda Morris is an arts writer at The Sydney Morning Herald

Most Viewed in Culture