Powerhouse Parramatta opens this weekend – and it’s dazzling inside and out

Coups de théâtre abound in the $915m addition to western Sydney’s skyline, which opens on Saturday with five new exhibitions – and a 23-day festival

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Dubbed the “Opera House of western Sydney”, Powerhouse Parramatta’s white lattice exoskeleton, composed from 1,300 individual pieces and wrapping 30,000 sq metres of interior space, has already become a familiar landmark.

Even better known, perhaps, is the project’s controversial history. Since the Parramatta outpost was announced in 2014, a vocal group of dissenters led by former staff and trustees has lamented what they see as the neglect of the museum’s Ultimo site in favour of a new infrastructure project, and what they say is a shift away from the museum’s core business towards contemporary art and events.