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Australian studio Lahznimmo Architects has completed Powerhouse Castle Hill, a shed-like storage facility clad in corrugated aluminum and concrete in northwest Sydney.
The 9,000 square meter facility, owned by the Powerhouse Museum Group, is designed to serve as a public-facing warehouse, containing storage, exhibition and conservation facilities, as well as spaces for research and community engagement.
Lahznimmo Architects said the design was intended to echo the industrial surroundings of Castle Hill while providing “something special” to the museum.
Andrew Nimmo, director of Lahznimmo Architects, said: “Our goal was ‘beautiful utility’ – a building with calm and cool precision that can functionally serve the internal activities and protect the collection. “
“The building follows the tradition of large industrial sheds and it was important that it stayed true to type, but as the new public-facing representation of the Castle Hill Powerhouse Museum it needed something special,” he continued.
Powerhouse Castle Hill is one of seven buildings within the Sydney Museum Discovery Centre, which is owned by the Powerhouse Museum for the storage and conservation of its collections. It was built in partnership with government agencies Create NSW and NSW Public Works.
Internally, the main wing of the 130-metre-long structure houses the museum’s double-height storage space and a loading dock to the rear. The shorter edge of the main entrance integrates staff work areas and multi-functional exhibition rooms, including a 10-meter-high event space.
Glass passages run the width of the building, separating storage facilities from exhibition and staff areas and connecting the ground floor to other archives, laboratories and documentation facilities on the first floor.
Lahznimmo Architects emphasized the facility’s role as a “visible store” through the entrance foyer, where a 3.5-meter-high and 9-meter-long permanent glass window allows visitors to view the Very Large Object (VLO) area.
The VLO storage space covers an area of 3,000 square meters and can accommodate items such as aircraft, trains and automobiles.
The exterior’s industrial material palette of corrugated aluminum and concrete complements the interior’s cool-toned rooms, which shift subtly from white and gray to black.
“The building has a dual role as a large storage room and as a museum exhibition space for the public, however, we wanted to give the building a unique expression in order to merge the different functions into one,” the studio explained. overall.”
“The entire material palette is minimal and basic, showcasing the materials’ natural properties by showcasing their raw expression; including polished aluminum, shaped concrete walls and polished concrete floors.”
Lahznimmo Architects wrapped corrugated metal cladding tightly around the building’s geometric holes and extrusions to mimic the surrounding industrial sheds.
It has a reflective finish and is covered with layers of insulation and precast concrete walls that help regulate internal temperature and humidity levels.
“Corrugated aluminum skin provides a unique expression of pragmatism within the tradition of the industrial shed,” said the studio.
“It sits on a corrugated precast concrete base, which protects the aluminum from vehicle movement on site. [and] Giving the building a beautiful shimmering quality that changes with the light of the day. “
Sydney-based Lahznimmo Architects was founded in 1994 by Nimmo and Annabel Lahz. The company said it hoped Powerhouse Castle Hill would raise “expectations for utilities”.
Another recent cultural building in Sydney is SANAA’s Sydney Contemporary Art Gallery, which houses a translucent gallery store designed by Akin Atelier.
Photography is by Rory Gardner.
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