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Sydney Masonic Centre
Sydney Masonic Centre
An icon of brutalist architecture and a glimpse into the world of the Freemasons
About the building
The Sydney Masonic Centre is one of Sydney’s most striking brutalist landmarks. It was designed in the early 1970s by the renowned architectural firm Joseland & Gilling for the Freemasons United Grand Lodge. Only the podium was complete when the Masonic Centre opened in 1979. Decades later, the air space above was sold to a developer; when they saw Joseland & Gilling’s original tower designs they commissioned PTW Architects to realise their vision.
The multistorey Civic Tower was completed in 2004 and was Australia’s first tower to be fully supported on a central lift core. With no structural columns touching the ground, it created an illusion of the tower balancing above the podium. The podium was also refurbished and a glass atrium added with a street-level cafe. The monumental off-form concrete interiors are considered among the finest examples of late-20th-century civic architecture in the city.
The site has been associated with Freemasonry since 1884, when the original New Masonic Hall opened on Castlereagh Street. The Centre continues that legacy today as the home of the United Grand Lodge of NSW & ACT. Within the building are the Grand Lodge Room, multiple Lodge rooms, the Grand Library, the Museum of Freemasonry, and the Carrington Room, named for Lord Carrington, First Grand Master in 1888. The building’s unique combination of architectural significance, continuous fraternal heritage and contemporary use as a major public event venue makes the Sydney Masonic Centre a rare and important part of Sydney’s cultural landscape.
Talks & Tours
Interpretive talks at the Sydney Masonic Centre
Knowledgeable volunteers will be stationed in the Grand Library, the Museum of Freemasonry and the Lodge rooms to answer questions, share historical insights and guide guests through the building’s rich ceremonial and architectural heritage.
Time: All Day
Short video on Freemasonry at the Sydney Masonic Centre
Head to Lodge Room 3 on level 3 of the Sydney Masonic Centre and learn more about Freemasonry with a short introductory video. Video will play every hour, on the hour.
Time: All Day
Building info
Built
Podium: 1978; Tower: 2004
Architect
Joseland & Gilling
PTW Architects
Find out more about this building here
Sydney Masonic Centre
279 Castlereagh Street, Sydney
Entry details
Attendees will have exclusive access to level 3, including the Grand Library, the Museum of Freemasonry and the Lodge rooms
10am–5pm
4.45pm
Talks, tours and more
Need to know
Accessible featuresThere is ramp or level (step-free) entry and lift access to all public levels. There is an assistive listening/hearing loop. Assistance animals are welcome
Toilets availableAccessible toilets
Photography restrictedNo flash to be used in museum areas
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