The  Sydney  Opera  House  

The  Sydney  Opera  is  one  of  the  most  widely  recognized  facili:es  in  the  

world.  

The  compelling,  expressionist  design  was  created  by  Danish  architect  Jørn  

Utzon,  who  won  the  design  compe::on  in  1957.  

Sixteen  years  passed  before  the  formal  opening  in  1973.  

It’s  construc:on  was  mired  by  setbacks,  exceeded  budgets  and  tension  between  client  and  design  team  —  culmina:ng  in  Utzon’s  

resigna:on  in  1966.  

Its  extremely  complex  and  forward-­‐thinking  design  required  adapta:on  and  experimenta:on,  both  of  which  are  difficult  pills  to  swallow  for  local  

governments  where  poli:cs,  dissenters  and  opponents  are  in  no  

short  supply.  

Fortunately,  the  board  of  the  Opera  House  reconciled  with  Utzon  in  the  1990s  and  he  became  ac:ve  once  again  in  its  upkeep  and  renova:ons.  

He  was  an  ac:ve  member  of  the  board  un:l  his  death  in  2008.  

Its  white,  layered  shells  suggest  images  of  the  sails  of  boats  sailing  in  and  out  of  the  Sydney  Harbor,  at  the  mouth  of  which  the  opera  house  

sits.  

The  drama  of  the  structure  surely  influences  all  performance-­‐goers  as  well  as  the  cast  and  crew  of  it’s  

produc:ons.  

A  triumph  of  architecture  and  design,  the  Sydney  Opera  house  is  a  

global  hub  and  art  and  entertainment.  

As  an  aWrac:on,  the  Sydney  Opera  House  draws  millions  of  visitors  

annually.  

It’s  name  would  suggest  a  single  performance  space,  but  the  facility  is  home  to  many  performance  venues  and  hosts  over  1,500  

performances  a  year.  

The  Sydney  Opera’s  iconic  visual  quality  has  become  part  of  the  

cultural  fabric  of  Australia  and  of  the  global  art  community.  

The  Sydney  Opera  is  con:nuing  to  expand  the  viewing  public’s  ideas  of  

opera  and  art  with  its  current  produc:on  of  Puccini’s  1903  classic,  Madama  BuWerfly.  The  opera  is  

performed  outdoors,  on  a  sprawling  man-­‐made  pleasure  garden.  

Part  of  the  Handa  Opera  on  the  Harbor  series,  the  performance  is  infused  with  Japanese  culture  and  features  fireworks  with  every  

performance,  two  cars,  and  sun  and  moon  the  rise  and  fall  though  out.  

The  iconic  Opera  House  is  also  part  of  the  set,  si\ng  across  the  water,  

constantly  in  the  eye-­‐line.  

The  performance,  running  currently,  has  been  receiving  favorable  reviews  and  con:nues  the  Sydney  Opera  House’s  tradi:on  of  excellence.  

It  is  not  an  overstatement  to  say  that  the  Sydney  Opera  House  is  one  of,  it  not  the,  most  iconic  buildings  of  the  

20th  century.  

Its  formidable,  pala:al  design  inspires  onlookers  with  wonder  and  

crea:vity.  

When  Sydney  hosted  the  summer  Olympics  in  2000,  the  Opera  House  was  in  almost  every  aerial  shot  of  

the  city.  

The  Sydney  Opera  House  is  a  fundamental  site  in  the  set  of  

images  we  collec:vely  associate  with  Australia.  

Without  doubt,  the  white  shells  of  the  facility  will  con:nue  to  inspire  

the  masses.  

In  2003,  Utzon  received  the  highest  honor  in  architecture,  the  Pritzker  

Prize.  

Of  the  building,  the  Jury  Cita:on  said:  

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  Sydney  Opera  House  is  his  masterpiece.  

It  is  one  of  the  great  iconic  buildings  of  the  20th  century,  an  image  of  great  beauty  that  has  become  

known  throughout  the  world  –  a  symbol  for  not  only  a  city,  but  a  whole  country  and  con:nent.  

 The  Sydney  Opera  House