Powerhouse Castle Hill Expansion

Powerhouse commissioned architectural photographer Rory Gardiner to create a series of images of the expansion of Powerhouse Castle Hill. A new state-of-the-art building houses Powerhouse collections and supports research, conservation and programs.
Powerhouse Castle Hill was designed by Lahznimmo Architects to foreground the natural environment and history of the site, and constructed by Taylor Construction Group The expansion of Powerhouse Castle Hill increases collection storage space by 30 per cent, provides new office space for staff and delivers state-of-the-art facilities for the preservation and conservation of the Powerhouse Collection.
Powerhouse Castle Hill is one of the significant pieces of cultural infrastructure in the Hills Shire local government area and will make a significant contribution to the community. The building will open on Saturday 23 March 2024 featuring the premiere of First Nations exhibition Alchemy, performances, artists talks, architectural tours and workshops.
‘The intersecting history of photography and architecture permeates my thinking as I photograph. I hope these images will, in some way, contribute to a much wider archive of the architectural landscape.’



‘A core part of my process is to find a balance for the geometric relationships of a building. This assigns primacy to the structural components of the image so it can become the canvas for the natural elements at play: the light, materiality and the human interaction.’



‘What I find interesting about documenting a building in its completed state before the keys are handed over is the forward-looking nature of the image. It's a moment full of anticipation about how the building will evolve.’



‘I’m conscious a function of my work is to relay the building to the international Architecture community. It’s a community that on the whole, experiences architecture through images and the media so I feel that responsibility when I work.’




‘I’ve always enjoyed the scale of large, institutional buildings. There is a formal significance to the way large structures exist within a site that lends itself to my natural default with a camera: to explore geometric and topographical relationships.’


This Photography Commission by Rory Gardiner also features in dezeen.com