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.

The eye-watering price tag – $915m, in an era of funding precarity for the arts – has also come under scrutiny, culminating in a New South Wales Treasury investigation into allegations over the museum’s governance and procurement practices.…