The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive buildings in the world. With its iconic sail-like design, this performing arts center in the Sydney Harbour has become a symbol of Australia.
The Opera House was designed in 1959 by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon. Due to budgetary setbacks, construction delays, and disagreements within the architectural team, it took over 12 years to build. In fact, Utzon eventually left the project because of these disagreements, and the Australian architect Peter Hall helped see the building to completion in 1973. Queen Elizabeth II provided the official inauguration on Oct. 20, 1973.
The building is intended to look like a boat sailing in the harbor, with groups of interlocking sails. The sails are made of over one million tiles; each tile is meticulously placed to create a subtle chevron pattern. The sails appear to be in motion and are supported by a complex system of concrete ribs and shells, all grounded in an enormous podium. Under the podium, there are almost 600 concrete piers rooted into the sea floor to support the structure.
The Opera House broke with traditional architectural styles because of its unusual shape. Interestingly, it was one of the first buildings that was designed using CAD, or computer-aided design, software. This technological breakthrough led to future architects to create increasingly complex geometrical structures using computers with their designs.
The first live performance there happened even before the Opera House officially opened. In 1960, Paul Robeson, the civil rights activist, sang Ol’ Man River to the workers during a visit to the construction site. Since then, many famous performances have occurred in the various performance spaces within the Opera House. Many performing arts companies, such as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Ballet, use the Opera House regularly for concerts. In fact, the organ in the Opera House is the largest musical instrument in the world, with more than ten thousand individual pipes.
At night, colorful light displays adorn the Opera House reflecting various cultural themes. Whether viewed from the harbor, the bridge, or the gardens, the Opera House is an incredible sight in the dark.
Overall, there is nothing quite like the Sydney Opera House in all the world!
