Top: Level 3, a future studio, with Robyn Backen's art installation 'Christ Knows'. Above: Northern facade of the powerhouse and entry into the turbine hall.

On the banks of the Georges River near Liverpool in south-west Sydney, the Casula Powerhouse is a 1950s power station which is being developed as a regional arts centre. The interior consists of two large spaces: the former turbine hall—a clear open area which has become a multi-use gallery and informal performance space and will house a future theatre—and the boilerhouse, which now contains smaller studios, a gallery, performance spaces and offices for community and arts organisations such as Reverse Garbage.

Repairs to the dilapidated building and construction of new interior elements were tailored to a tight budget in comparison with the size of the building—and are being completed in several stages as government funding becomes available. So the fitout is basic—including robust, plain materials and bold colours to complement the raw surfaces of the existing shell.

The Casula Powerhouse is a great example of a dead building being brought to life for the spiritual and artistic development of the community.

The existing rugged and somewhat raw building has been sensitively and lightly touched in the recycling process. Maximum use of space has been achieved with minimum intervention. New material is well finished, often in vibrant colours, while the old is allowed to retain its original finish and patina.

The key feature in the turbine hall, immediately in front of the main entrance, is the magnificent use of the concrete floor as a work of art—'Koori Floor Piece' by Judy Watson.

The building's solution to disabled access to the Level 2 Gallery has been treated as a sculptural element, at the same time being utilitarian and has earned the jury's Access Citation.

Externally, the original finishes have remained intact and the proposed retention of the chimney stack and the former fuel tanks add immeasurably to the interpretation of the site. Throughout, there is a sense of understanding and sympathy for the original fabric.

Photography Bart Maiorana, Chris Fortescue

Turbine hall at the time of an exhibition, with concrete floor embellished by artist Judy Watson.