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50 Martin Place

Machine Hall and Sub Station No. 164

Sirius 

The Brewery

The Mint

White Bay Power Station

Adaptive Reuse

Sydney Open returns in 2025. Sign up to our eNews for updates on the next Sydney Open event and other amazing offers from Museums of Sydney NSW. 

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at this extraordinary heritage-listed landmark, the only one of its kind to survive on Sydney Harbour. The power station was built between 1912 and 1917 to cope with the expansion of Sydney’s electric tram and rail systems. Its dominant harbourside position, dramatic vertical facade, castellated parapets and steam funnels mark the entrance to the Balmain waterfront and are an enduring symbol of the area’s industrial origins and traditions. This tour will take you to the remarkably intact control room, not normally open to the public.  

Tours start at 10am and run every 15 minutes until 3.45pm. Make sure to put your name down to secure your spot. 

Control Room Tour 

This session will explore how practitioners can work authentically on Country and embed both contemporary and ancient cultural practices.

Embodied Carbon/Embodied Culture

In this future-focused session, our panellists explore how adaptive reuse supports the creation of vibrant and culturally rich urban environments.   

Tickets: Drop-in. This event is exclusive to Sydney Open ticketholders, with limited availability.  

Enabling Futures, with Philip Thalis, Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects Pty Ltd; Jess Miller, Finding Infinity; and Hugo Chan, Studio HC  

Join us for an insightful discussion with some of the architects who have redefined adaptive reuse in Sydney. The distinguished panel includes Alec Tzannes, Tim Greer and Elizabeth Carpenter, three practitioners who have embedded sustainable and adaptive reuse practices into Sydney’s architectural fabric.  

Around the world, architects and planners adapt abandoned spaces and heritage buildings for new and contemporary uses. Not only is this a practical way to preserve the past and spearhead urban renewal, it’s also a great way to tap into local histories; build dynamic, flourishing new communities; and breathe new life into entire neighbourhoods.    

In this engaging conversation, our panellists will explore the essential elements of creating enduring architecture. They will reflect on how the sustainability movement of the early 2000s shaped their approach, highlighting the role of collaboration, perseverance and adaptability in their successful projects. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the social histories behind these iconic sites and hear candid reflections on the projects’ evolution and transformation. 

This is a rare opportunity to gain firsthand insights from the architects who have played a pivotal role in shaping Sydney’s urban landscape. As we hear about their experiences, we will also explore what they might have done differently and their visionary aspirations for the city’s future.

Speakers:  
 
Dr Tim Greer, Founding Director, TZG 
Alec Tzannes, Director, Tzannes 
Elizabeth Carpenter, fjcstudio 
 
Tickets: Drop-in. This event is exclusive to Sydney Open ticketholders, with limited availability.  
Meet at The Private Kitchen, Kensington Street, Chippendale, at 2.45pm for a 3pm start.  
Capacity: 90

In Conversation: Visionaries of Adaptive Reuse

Since its closure in 1984, the White Bay Power Station has stood as a silent monument to our harbour’s industrial past. A symbol of both our city’s history and its indecision, the site lay dormant for decades, accessible only to a handful of trespassers and thrillseekers. Once apparently destined for demolition or redevelopment into housing or commercial spaces, the site is now a proud testament to visionary thinking. Fast-forward to 2024, and thanks to the persevering efforts of the NSW Government, the power station roared back to life as a cultural and community hub for the Biennale of Sydney.  

But how did this remarkable transformation come about? What drove the decision to breathe new life into this historic structure, and what are the plans for its future use? 

Dr Wayne Johnson, Archaeologist at Placemaking NSW, and Robert Gasparini of Design 5 Architects will guide us through the power station’s past, sharing fascinating stories of those who worked here as well as insights into the complex process of the building’s remediation.  

MHNSW’s new CEO, Annette Pitman, will join Craig Donarski, Manager of Arts, Culture and Creative Industries for White Bay Power Station to discuss the practicalities of adaptive reuse, detailing how this asset will be leveraged to position Sydney as a global hub of culture and creativity.  

Don’t miss your chance to be part of a conversation that celebrates our city’s past while looking towards its future. 

Tickets: Drop-in. These talks are exclusive to Sydney Open ticketholders, with limited availability.  

Talks begin at 11am  

Capacity: 200  
Speakers: 
Annette Pitman, CEO, Museums of History NSW  
Dr Wayne Johnson, Archaeologist, Placemaking NSW 
Robert Gasparini, Senior Associate, Design 5 Architects 
Craig Donarski, Manager of Arts, Culture and Creative Industries, White Bay Power Station 

Panel Discussion: Adaptive Reuse in Action

Loved or hated, this Sydney landmark has stirred up more than its fair share of controversy and debate. However, everyone can agree that in, on and around this site is a treasure-trove of stories and reflections. The site of the Sirius was a significant place for the local Gadigal people who fished and lived upon the shores of Sydney Harbour, and for many, the Sirius represents a site of intense and colourful cross-cultural encounters. Experts will be on hand to answer all your questions about the many aspects of this building’s rich and varied history as well as the design and architectural concepts that drove the recent redevelopment.

40-person capacity with sessions running every 20 minutes.  

Experts:

Mary Sutton, local resident and activist 
John Green, JDH 
Peter Titmuss, BVN 
Sally Campbell, BVN 
Byron Sullivan, Senior Associate, BVN 
Charles Pickett, architecture curator

Sirius Conversations

Update: Please note tours of the offices are no longer available at Machine Hall and Sub Station No. 164. Enjoy a self guided exploration of the Sub Station lobby, Machine Hall and Speakeasy bar. 

Tour Cancelled

Tours start at 10am, 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm

With a long and illustrious history of adaptation from the early 19th century to the present day, The Mint is a historically unique site. The buildings have served as a convict hospital, dispensary, infirmary for the poor, Royal Mint, public service offices, law courts and museum. The Mint was adapted for its present use in 2004. The project involved transforming this remarkable cultural asset into a fully functioning contemporary space, including accessible public spaces, display areas, and offices and meeting rooms for MHNSW staff, as well as venue hire and retail spaces, and set new benchmarks for adaptive reuse in Australia and around the world.  

The project has received many awards, including the Australian Institute of Architects’ Sir John Sulman Medal for Outstanding Public Architecture and the Francis Greenway Award for Conservation. The Mint was also awarded the Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage and was nominated by the UK’s Building Services journal as one of the ‘top 30 ground-breaking buildings of the world’. 

To find out more about the Mint project and view the office spaces and the Caroline Simpson Library, join us for an informative tour.  

Capacity: 15 per tour  


Tour: The Mint Project 

Join MHNSW Curator Anna Cossu for a 30-minute walking tour exploring how social, political and economic forces shaped the development of public and social housing in the Rocks area and how the working-class community adapted and responded to these shifts, as seen through the stories of former residents of Susannah Place and the Sirius building. 

Capacity: 20  

Time: 30 minutes

Tours start at 10am, 10.30am, 11am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, last tour 3pm 

Program

Welcome to a refreshed Sydney Open program celebrating design, architecture and the built environment. Held over several Sundays throughout 2024–25, this carefully curated program opens the doors to select buildings under key themes.