A hundred years ago, the Shukhov Tower transformed the structural frame into architecture. Half a century later, the Centre Pompidou’s architectural manifesto appeared, turning the very concept of architecture inside out — in every sense. Studios are returning to these precedents and building architecture from engineering and constructivism. Powerhouse Parramatta in Sydney was designed in this exact logic.
Two volumes are wrapped in a steel exoskeleton of diagonal grids. The practicality of constructivism is taken to the absolute: the frame simultaneously carries the load, shades the glass, and shapes the museum’s external appearance.
Shaded glazing reduces cooling energy consumption. The museum is designed for zero emissions from day one and became Australia’s first public building to achieve a 6 Star rating under the new Green Star Buildings scheme — the country’s highest environmental standard.
From the outside, the building reads not as a museum, but as a 1:1 scale technical drawing. Inside, everything is reversed: the steel mesh stays behind the glass and acts as a giant gobo mask, slowly changing the light pattern on the floor. Column-free galleries stretch deep into the building and seem almost endless.
Powerhouse is conceived as a multifunctional cultural cluster. In addition to exhibition spaces, it will house artist studios, educational areas, and public program venues. At ground level, the museum opens onto a public square facing the river.
The museum is scheduled to open at the end of 2026.
If the Badayevsky complex had been squeezed to the maximum, we would have gotten something very similar. It’s good that rationality lost back then.