Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House is located on Sydney Harbour and is one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks. As well as many touring theatre, ballet, and musical productions, the Opera House is the home of Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony. It is administered by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts.
Planning for the Sydney Opera House began in the late 1940s as a suitable venue for large theatrical productions was sought in Sydney. A competition was launched in1955 and received entries from 32 countries. The winning design was submitted by Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect. Construction work began in December 1958, supervised by Utzon.
The government had pushed for work to begin early fearing that funding, or public opinion, might turn against them. However major structural issues still plagued the design, including the difficulties building the innovative sails. By January, 1961, work was running 47 weeks behind, due to many difficulties. By the middle of 1961 the design team had found a solution to the shells problem, creating them from sections of a sphere - a real eureka moment.
A change of government in 1965 declared that the Opera House project was to be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Works. This led to more controversy as it ultimately led to Utzon's resignation, with claims of lack of payment and a breakdown in relationships.
The Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, but not formally completed until 1975 at a cost of$102 million. The original estimate in 1957 was only $7 million. So after much controversy Sydney was finally left with one of the most admired constructions in the world. In 2007 it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was selected among the 20 finalists on the 2007 New Seven Wonders of the World project.
Why not come to the Sydney Opera House and see it for yourself!
