Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with Conrad Gargett, has been selected as one of six finalists for the Powerhouse Precinct at Paramatta. The aim of the competition is a 24-hour museum that will expose Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) collection. Australia’s largest and most advanced planetarium with ultra-high-resolution 3D video and multi-channel immersive audio will be also part of the project. Incorporating public spaces and a pedestrian bridge will enrich the heart and soul of Parramatta. The new Powerhouse Precinct will transform one of Australia’s oldest cultural institutions.
At the competition’s first stage design wasn’t required- competitors made submissions based on an outline response to the project brief, past experience and team composition. It attracted 74 submissions from 20 countries, made up of 529 individual firms from five continents. Six finalist international-Australian and Australian teams, including Steven Holl and his partner Conrad Gargett, were selected by a Shortlisting Panel led by Jury Chair, Naomi Milgrom AO. They will visit the site in June this year and will have to develop their concept design in three months. The design proposals will be shown to the public in a physical exhibition and online gallery before the international jury meets.
The Powerhouse museum will be the largest cultural infrastructure project in the region.
The winning team will be announced in late 2019.
More information about the contest and the other finalist teams:
https://new.maas.museum