Formerly: National Opera House Built: 1962-1973 Cost: A$100,000,000.00 Designed by: Jørn Utzon Type: Entertainment Venue Maximum Height: 213 feet / 65 meters Sydney, Australia
W ith the amount of bureaucratic bungling that went on both behind the scenes, and played out in public, it is amazing that this incredibly beautiful structure was ever built. The idea for an opera house for the city of Sydney wasn't a new one. It had been discussed as part of a post-World War II building program. But a lack of vision kept it on the back burner until 1954 when a search for a location was started. The government eventually settled on Bennelong Point as a suitable location. At the time the land was where the city had its yard for tram system. With a site selected the next step was finding an architect. The contest rules were made public in January, 1956 and by December 233 people had entered. The winner was Jørn Utzon, of Denmark whose vision of nine overlapping shells on the Sydney waterfront was chosen over more conventional square and circular buildings. The forms of the shells could be described as sections radiating from the bottom of an orange, or the frond of a palm plant unfurling in the sun. Either way, there were significant challenges because the sections had to be pre-fabricated off site and snapped together on Bennelong Point. This was where things started to fall apart for the project. The architect insisted that there was only one company capable of producing a particular part of the roof. The politicians insisted it be put out for bid. Since they controlled funding for the project, the architect was slowly strangled by restrictions, postponements, and other power-grabs to the point that by February, 1966 Utzon resigned. Another argument broke out between the Australian Broadcasting Commission and the Elizabethan Theatre Trust (which eventually became the Australian Opera). The ABC wanted the acoustics to have a two-second reverberation -- suitable for broadcast. The opera needed a different period to keep from throwing the performers off. The solution was to tune the acoustics in the large hall for symphonies and the small hall for opera. While this didn't sit well with the ETT, the government had spoken and they had to live with it. The problems weren't all political. After the foundation was laid, the roof support columns poured, and roof assembly started, it was discovered that those columns would not be sufficient to support the weight. Razing the site and starting again wasn't an option. So every day at 5:00pm demolition teams blew up the original columns and construction crews build larger ones in their place. Today there is no sign of the strife that marred one of the great buildings of the world. The Sydney Opera House has become an icon of a continent to the rest of the world. Its arches gracefully greet visitors from around the world, welcoming them to a progressive city without even hinting at the turmoil that nearly cost the building its very existence.
1995: There was enough drama involved in the construction of the Sydney Opera House that an opera was created about its design and construction.
May, 2002: The state of New South Wales has approved spending millions to reabilitate the Opera House. The original architect will be involved in the work, but since he's 83-years-old, will not be able to travel to Australia to see his work completed.
Kenneth King
Sunday, October 2nd, 2005 @ 7:33pm
This is a magnificent building, a wonder of the modern world. It is a truly memorable concert venue. The architecture and the Harbour setting make this an unparalleled opera house.
David E. Yalda
Sunday, May 29th, 2005 @ 8:17pm
Rating: Five stars. You really have to see it to believe it!! Sydney Opera House is one of those structures that you cannot describe to give it justice. Together with the Harbour Bridge, it is an Icon that brings you back for more.
Mark Harvey
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2005 @ 7:41am
Rating: Five stars. I was fortunate to spend four months working in Sydney in 1999 prior to the Olympics. We were stonemasons working late night shift at the Rocks Square and wandered down to the Opera House for a squizz, there were some very scared workers there who were part of a team installing some sort of new basement underneath, two of them explained to me why they were so scared. They said that while digging they came across some human bones (probably aboriginal) deep down below. Hey I don't know any white people buried there, they were confused and didn't know what to do so one of them picked up the bones, ran up the stairs and threw them into the water. "Nobody wanted to touch them so I felt that that was the right thing to do" he said, they seemed a little frayed arround the edges and obviously quite rattled by the experience. Were they really aboriginal bones or just a missing tram driver from the early 60's. The building is astounding, I love it to pieces, however I would dearly like to see the other 232 designs. I'm sure the most unique design won out, Shine on Sydney Opera House SHINE ON !!!!!!!!!! I look forward to seeing you again just as soon as I can.
Maddi
Friday, January 7th, 2005 @ 12:19pm
Rating: Five stars. i liked the information and i think that the pictures are really like really cool
Ei Bowd
Wednesday, December 8th, 2004 @ 8:05pm
Rating: Four stars. the opera house looks ok but It doesn't appeal to me. It was very uniqly designed which makes it a very special building but i don't like the look of it as much as other people do!
Amanda
Tuesday, November 9th, 2004 @ 6:42pm
Rating: Four stars. I think that they did a great job but the only thing is, is that it looks alittle unfinished.
Geoff McGowan
May 25th, 2003
Hi, Was just thinking that the Opera House redevelopment deserves an opening to be remembered, and I have an idea to submit, though it will require funding and fundraising. I'm not sure when it is due to be finished, but my ideal opening would be to have the high-wire artist Philippe Petit perform a walk that he has already planned for many years but is waiting for the right opportunity and funding to perform. He, as you may know, walked between the northern pylons of the Harbour Bridge in 1973. Perhaps it was the new opera house then that inspired him to hisgrand plan to walk betweent he Sydney Opera House and the top of the bridge. This he has been planning for more than a decade, so perhaps it can be put on the table as a possibility. I spoke to him in my capacity of a journalist in March and he is very keen to come to Australia to perform again if only he has the funding for his performance and an invitation.
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Kenneth King
David E. Yalda
Five stars.
Mark Harvey
Four stars.