Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings of our time. Designed by late Danish architect Jorn Utzon, many consider his design to be a masterpiece of late modern architecture. To simply call it a “building” does not do it justice. Set on the edge of Bennelong Point in the Sydney Harbor, it is a rare architectural sculpture that embodies the essence of its site. From a distance, its distinct form glistens in the Harbor making it one of the most easily recognizable structures ever built in the 20^th century. Today it stands as a symbol for Sydney — and Australia — and is treasured and admired not only by Australians but also worldwide. In June 2007, the Sydney Opera House was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, further solidifying its cultural and architectural significance.

The story of the Sydney Opera House begins in 1957 when Jorn Utzon, a relatively unknown architect at the time, unexpectedly won the design competition for the commission of a new opera house located on the Harbor. At first it wasn’t well received. The story claims that if it weren’t for world-renowned architect Eero Saarinen looking through a pile of rejected entries and running across Utzon’s design, we would never know about this architectural wonder. Saarinen declared it genius and vowed to not endorse any other entry. With such a strong endorsement, Utzon’s preliminary drawings were given a second look and became the winning entry. His design was considered unique and inspirational. Nothing like it had ever been built. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to build the “geometrically undefined” curves he envisioned. Nature’s organic forms as well as Utzon’s love for sailing inspired these curves, the shell-like forms that have become so iconic and easily identifiable. As the son of a naval architect, he was an avid sailor and had a passion for the sea. His passion was so intrinsically tied to his design that he used his maritime skills to study naval charts of Sydney Harbor instead of visiting the site, and he used his knowledge of shipbuilding that he acquired from his father to inform his design. These shell-like curves are the roofs of the structure and from afar, they resemble the sails of a boat billowing in the wind, perhaps Utzon’s nod to the function of the Harbor and many boats that pass through it at any given time. The actual construction of the roofs proved to be an engineering challenge, an issue that did not get resolved until two years after the official groundbreaking ceremony in 1961. Utzon himself devised a solution when one day peeling an orange, and redesigned the shells based on the complex sections of a sphere. What we have today are 14 precast concrete shells that according to Utzon, if combined, would form a perfect sphere. From a distance, the shells appear white, but under closer inspection, you can see a chevron pattern made up of millions of glossy white and matte cream tiles that add to its glistening quality. The complex intricacies of the roof required eleven years to complete!

The shell-like roofs

The Sydney Opera House isn’t just one building. The complex actually comprises of multiple performance venues nestled underneath various structures with vaulted roof shells. One set makes up the “concert hall shells;” another makes up the “opera/theater shells;” another houses the restaurant. These shells are set on a monumental podium with terraced areas that serve as pedestrian walkways. The structure is massive, covering 4.4 acres of land, measuring 600 feet long and 394 feet wide (at its widest point). There are six different halls, with the Concert Hall being the largest venue and the Joan Sutherland Theater being the second largest. These two main halls are placed side by side, with their long axis running north to south and slightly veering away from each other. An interesting design feature was placing the auditorium seating facing away from the Harbor. Perhaps this was done to avoid the audience being distracted from the performances by the beautiful view of the Harbor.

Elevation and Plan view. North is on the left.

The other smaller performance venues include the Drama Theater, The Playhouse, The Studio, The Utzon Room (named in honor of the chief architect), and The Forecourt. The latter is a flexible open-air venue where outdoor concerts and community events are held. There are also other facilities in the complex including a recording studio, retail outlets, and bars. In fact, the large terrace of the Opera Bar, located on the south façade, offers phenomenal views of the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge.

The terrace of the Opera Bar

Bennelong Point holds an interesting place in the history of the Harbor. Before the existence of the Opera House, existed Fort Macquarie. And before that, the Bennelong Point was an area filled with discarded oyster shells collected for thousands of years by local Aborigine women. Eventually those shells were re-gathered and burned to make lime for cement mortar, which was then used for construction. I can’t help but think when I look at an image of the Opera House and its shell-like shaped roofs that it is representative of the million shells that once covered the area, as if those burned shells have been given a new purpose — to give rise to this magnificent structure and beautify the Harbor.

And beautify it did. The great American architect Louis Kahn said, “The sun didn’t know how beautiful her light was, until she saw it reflected on this building.” Soon after it formally opened in October 1973, the Sydney Opera House quickly became one of the most distinctive landmarks in Sydney and one of Australia’s biggest tourist attractions. In a given year, over 7 million people visit the Opera House. Approximately 1 million people attend the 1600 performances hosted in the various venues, from musicals to ballets to operas.

It’s unfortunate that Utzon did not get to lead his creation to the very end. He resigned as the architect of the project when conflict arose with the new government and their criticism of the costs and scheduling overruns of the project. Other architects stepped in to finish what he started, changing part of his original design. In the end though, it was his vision that enabled the creation of this architectural feat, making it Australia’s most recognizable structure and beloved icon.