Name the architect of the opera house. The Sydney Opera House is a symbol of Australia

26.08.2023

One of the most interesting buildings of the 20th century is located in Australia. Built between 1957 and 1973, the Sydney Opera House is surrounded by water and strongly resembles a sailboat. The architect of the legendary structure was Jorn Utson from Denmark.

History of construction

Until the mid-20th century, there was not a single building in Sydney suitable for opera productions. With the arrival of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's new chief conductor, Eugene Goosens, the problem was made public.

But the creation of a new building for opera and orchestral purposes did not become a matter of first importance. At this time, the whole world was in a state of recovery after the war, the Sydney administration was in no hurry to begin work, and the project was frozen.

Funding for the construction of the Sydney Opera House began in 1954. They continued until 1975, and in total about $100 million was collected.

Cape Bennelong was chosen as the site for one of the largest cultural buildings. According to the requirements, the building had to have two halls. The first of them, intended for opera and ballet performances, as well as symphonic music, was supposed to accommodate approximately three thousand people. In the second, with dramatic performances and chamber music, there are 1,200 people.

Jorn Utson, according to the commission, became the best architect out of 233 who sent their works. He was inspired to create the project by the sailing ships standing in Sydney Harbor. It took the builders 14 years to complete the project.

Construction began in 1959. Immediately problems began to arise. The government demanded that the number of halls be increased from two to four. In addition, the designed wing-sails turned out to be impossible to implement, so it took several more years of experimentation to find the right solution. Due to the outbreak of proceedings in 1966, Utson was replaced by a group of architects from Australia, led by Peter Hull.

On September 28, 1973, the Sydney Opera House opened its gates. The premiere was the production of the opera “War and Peace” by S. Prokofiev. The official opening ceremony was held on October 20 in the presence of Elizabeth II.

Some numbers

The constructed opera immediately immortalized itself in history. This is truly a huge complex containing 5 halls and about 1000 rooms for various purposes. The maximum height of the Opera House building is 67 meters. The total weight of the building is estimated to be 161,000 tons.

Opera House halls

1 hall

The largest hall of the Sydney Opera House is the Concert Hall. It accommodates 2679 visitors. The Great Concert Organ is also located here.

Hall 2

The Opera Hall, which seats 1,547 spectators, is used for opera and ballet performances. The hall houses the world's largest theatrical curtain-tapestry, the Curtain of the Sun.

Hall 3

The drama hall seats 544 spectators. Drama and dance performances take place here. There is also another tapestry curtain, also woven in Aubusson. Due to its dark tones, it was called “Curtain of the Moon”.

Hall 4

The Playhouse hall seats 398 spectators. It is intended for theatrical miniatures, lectures, and also for use as a cinema.

Hall 5

The newest hall, “Studio,” opened in 1999. 364 spectators can see plays in the spirit of avant-garde art here.

Since 1973, the Sydney Opera House has been in use almost 24 hours a day without interruption. In addition to culture and art lovers, the building is loved by thousands of tourists visiting Sydney. The Sydney Opera House has become a real symbol of Australia.

Video about the Sydney Opera House

And a landmark of the entire Australian continent. What can I say, even within the whole world this is one of the most famous and easily recognizable buildings. The sail-shaped shells that form the roof of the theater make it unique and unlike any other structure on Earth. Since the building is surrounded by water on three sides, it looks like a frigate sailing.

The Opera building, along with the famous Harbor Bridge, is the hallmark of Sydney, and, of course, all of Australia is proud of it. The Sydney Opera House has been considered a World Heritage Site since 2007 and is protected by UNESCO. It is officially recognized as an outstanding building of world modern architecture.

History of creation

The Sydney Opera House (see photo in the article) was opened in October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II of England. The building was designed by a Danish architect in 2003, and he was awarded for this. The project proposed by Utzon was very original, bright and beautiful; the fan-shaped roofs rising above the bay gave the building a romantic look. As the architect himself explained, he was inspired to create such a project by orange peel, cut into sectors, from which hemispherical and spherical shapes could be made. Indeed, everything ingenious is simple! Experts noted that initially the project did not give the impression of a real architectural solution, but was more like a sketch. And yet it was brought to life!

Construction

On the site where the Sydney Opera House is now located (the territory of Cape Bennelong), until 1958 there was a simple tram depot. Construction of the Opera began in 1959, but seven years later, in 1966, Jorn Utzon left the project. Architects from his team continued work, and in 1967 the exterior decoration was completed. It took another six years to bring the building to perfection and complete decorative work. Utzon was not even invited to the opening of the theater in 1973, and the bronze plaque located near the entrance to the building does not contain his name. Nevertheless, the Sydney Opera House itself serves as a monument to its author and creator; every year it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is worth noting that the building is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Architecture

The building occupies an area of 2.2 hectares, the length of the structure is 185 meters, and the width reaches 120 meters. The entire building weighs 161 thousand tons and stands on 580 piles, lowered to a depth of twenty-five meters in the water. The Sydney Opera House is an Expressionist building with an inherently innovative and radical design. The roof frame includes two thousand concrete sections connected to each other. The entire roof is covered with beige and white ceramic tiles - this combination of colors creates an interesting movement effect.

Inside the theater

The Sydney Opera House has five main halls, which host symphony concerts, theater and chamber performances, and the building also has an opera and minor drama stages, a theater studio, a drama theatre, a simulated stage and the Utzon Room. The theater complex also contains other event rooms, a recording studio, four gift shops and five restaurants.

The main concert hall seats 2,679 spectators and also houses the symphony orchestra.
The opera stage has a seating capacity of 1,547, and is also home to the Australian Ballet and the Australian Opera.
The Drama Theater seats up to 544 people and hosts performances by artists from the Sydney Theater Company and other groups.
The Small Dramatic Stage is perhaps the most comfortable hall of the Opera. It is designed for 398 spectators.
The theater studio is a hall with a changing configuration that can accommodate up to 400 people.

Sydney Opera House: interesting facts

In the Opera there hangs the largest one in the world, which was specially made in France according to a sketch by the artist Coburn. It is called the "Sun and Moon Curtain" and each half measures 93 square meters.

In the main concert hall of the theater there is the world's largest mechanical organ with 10.5 thousand pipes.

The electricity consumption in the building is equivalent to the energy consumption of a city with a population of 25 thousand people. Every year, 15.5 thousand light bulbs are replaced here.

The Sydney Opera House was built largely thanks to funds raised from the State Lottery.

Every year the Opera hosts about three thousand concerts and other events, which are attended by up to two million spectators annually.

The Sydney Opera House is open to the general public 363 days a year, except on Christmas Day and Good Friday. On other days the Opera operates around the clock.

Although the stepped roof of the Opera is very beautiful, it does not provide the necessary acoustics in concert halls. The solution to the problem was the construction of separate ceilings that reflect sound.

The theater has its own opera written about it in its program. Its title is “The Eighth Miracle.”

The first singer to perform on the stage of the Sydney Opera House was Paul Robeson. Back in 1960, when construction of the theater was in full swing, he climbed onto the stage and sang the song “Ol’ Man River” for the lunching workers.

In 1980, Arnold Schwarzenegger received the title “Mr. Olympia” in bodybuilding competitions in the Main Concert Hall of the theater.

In 1996, when the Crowded House group gave a farewell concert at the Sydney Opera House, the largest number of spectators in the history of the theater was recorded. This concert was broadcast in all corners of the planet on television.

Finally

The Sydney Opera House is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. On both sides of the ocean, many people come to the conclusion that this is the most beautiful and outstanding structure that was built in the twentieth century. It's hard to disagree with this statement!

The Opera House in the capital of Australia is not only a unique building in its shape, it is also considered the hallmark of the city. The sail-shaped roof of the theater is recognizable all over the world. In the evening, the building is illuminated with beautiful illumination, making the space around the theater truly fabulous.

The history of an extraordinary building

This concert hall was opened by order of Elizabeth II. Its doors opened to the public on October 20, 1973. In 2007, the theater was included in the UNESCO list.

Before the construction of the theater, a port and a tram depot were located on its site. The project of the opera house was entrusted to the architect Utson. For this masterpiece, the architect received the prestigious Pritzker Prize.

Construction of the theater took 14 years. The building cost the crown $102 million.

The opening ceremony of the establishment was more than solemn. After all, the queen herself was present. Beethoven's symphony number 9 was played as the musical accompaniment at the opening, and a grandiose fireworks display was arranged in the evening.

External and internal appearance

The architectural concept of the building revolves around the ideas of expressionism. The length of the facade is estimated at 185 meters. The width of the structure is 120 meters.

The theater consumes a lot of electricity. This amount of electricity could illuminate an entire city with 25 thousand inhabitants. The sailboat roof consists of 2000 parts connected using a special technology.

The steel cables holding the roof take up approximately 350 m. The imitation sails on the roof are made from concrete blocks. These blocks are covered with elegant azulejo tiles in matte and white shades. The roof tiles were made in Sweden, and during processing they were equipped with a special self-cleaning system.

Uneven ceiling heights due to the roof pattern caused acoustic problems for some time. Therefore, additional ceilings were added in various places.

The interior of the opera house is made of pink granite, noble wood and simple plywood. The building, based in Bennelong Point Harbour, itself looks like a fairytale ship that has just moored off the coast.

What's inside the theater?

During construction, it was planned to make the main hall of the theater a ballet hall, but then it was decided to remake this venue for concert performances. Today the Sydney Theater operates 6 separate halls:

"Concert". Accommodates up to 2670 spectators. In the same hall is located one of the largest organs in the world, which has 10 thousand pipes made of the best steel;
"Operatic". Accommodates up to 1540 spectators. The tapestry in the hall, called “Solar”, is also considered the largest on earth;
"Drama Hall" This hall is designed for 544 spectators. Performances and regular performances take place here. The curtain in this room is nicknamed “Moonlight”;
"Game". Designed for 398 seats. Chamber theater shows are held here. On the same site, film screenings are held, conferences and lectures are organized;
"Studio". Accommodates up to 364 spectators. Avant-garde productions are shown at this venue;
"Utson's Hall". Decorated with wool tapestry, used for various purposes.

All of the above halls have stages that can be expanded or reduced due to the first seats.

In addition to performance venues, the Sydney Opera House has a variety of cafes, bars, and restaurants with good cuisine. The building houses shops and local services. The area of the theater is 2.2 hectares. Without knowing the layout of the structure, it is easy to get lost in it if you visit it for the first time.

There are many funny stories associated with the Sydney theater. For example, one day a courier had to deliver a package to the theater. Wandering through the corridors of the building, he accidentally ended up on stage right in the middle of the performance. One of the actors was not taken aback and exclaimed: “Finally, the package was delivered!” The audience remained fully confident that this action was part of the script.

Another funny incident happened in the theater with musicians. As you know, the orchestra is usually located in a separate orchestra pit next to the stage. The performance featured real chickens. One chicken turned out to be very agile and jumped from the stage onto the head of one musician. The jumping actor was caught, and from then on a net began to be pulled over the orchestra.

Tickets and excursions

The Sydney Opera House hosts approximately three thousand cultural events every year. You can get acquainted with the nearest ones, as well as order tickets on the institution’s website.

You can also take a tour of this grand theater. The tourist program takes about an hour, excursions are conducted from 9 am to 5 pm daily, excluding Christmas Day and Good Friday.

A regular tour costs AUD 35. Evening excursions are combined with performances, as well as dinners in restaurants. This type of leisure is more expensive.

The Sydney Opera House is the symbol of Australia's largest city

(English: Sydney Opera House) - one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world, is a symbol of the largest city in Australia - Sydney. The sail-shaped roof makes this musical theater unlike any other in the world.

Sydney Opera House recognized as one of the greatest structures in modern architecture and is the hallmark of the city and the continent. Its opening took place on October 20, 1973 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

The Sydney Opera House is located in the harbor at Bennelong Point. This name comes from the name of a local Aboriginal and friend of the first governor of Australia. Previously, there was a fort on this site, and until 1958 there was a tram depot.

The architect of the opera house was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who received the Pritzker Prize in 2003 for his project.

Despite the ease of manufacturing and installation of parts for spherical shells, the construction of the building was delayed due to the interior decoration of the premises. According to the construction plan, the theater should have taken no more than four years and cost about 7 million Australian dollars, but the opera took 14 years to build and cost 102 million.

Hundreds of the world's best musicians perform at the Sydney Opera House every year. If you love music and are interested in playing musical instruments, then here you can find and buy audio equipment from the world's best manufacturers.

The Sydney Opera House is built in an expressionist style with innovative design elements. Its length is 185 m and its width is 120 m. The opera covers an area of 2.2 hectares. The weight of the building is approximately 161 thousand tons, it rests on 580 piles driven into the water to a depth of 25 m. The electricity consumed by the building is equivalent to a city with 25 thousand population.

The roof of the theater consists of 2194 sections, its height is 67 m, and its weight is about 27 tons. The entire structure is supported by cables 350 km long. The roof of the opera is made in the form of a series of shells, but it is usually called sails or shells, which is not correct from the point of view of architectural design. These sinks are made from triangular concrete panels that are attached to 32 precast ribs.

The roof of the building is covered with 1,056,006 azulejo tiles in white and matte cream colors. From a distance the roof appears pure white, but under different lighting conditions you can see different color schemes. Using the mechanical method of laying tiles, the roof surface turned out to be ideal, which was impossible to achieve manually.

The largest vaults form the roof of the Concert Hall and the Opera House. Other halls form smaller vaults. The interior of the building is made using pink granite, wood and plywood.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous buildings of the 20th century and is by far Australia's most popular architectural structure in the style. It is located on Sydney Harbour, close to the huge Harbor Bridge. The unusual silhouette of the Sydney Opera House resembles a row of sails soaring above the surface of the sea. Nowadays, smooth lines in architecture are quite common, but it was the Sydney Theater that became one of the first buildings on the planet with such a radical design. Its distinctive feature is its recognizable shape, which includes a number of identical “shells” or “shells”.

The history of the theater's creation is full of drama. It all started in 1955, when the state government of which Sydney is the capital announced an international architectural competition. From the very beginning, high hopes were placed on the construction - it was planned that the implementation of an ambitious project to create a new magnificent theater would serve as an impetus for the development of culture on the Australian continent. The competition attracted the attention of many famous architects around the world: the organizers received 233 applications from 28 countries. As a result, the government chose one of the most striking and unusual projects, the author of which was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon. An interesting designer and thinker in search of new means of expression, Utzon designed a building that seemed to “come from the world of fantasy,” as the architect himself said.

In 1957, Utzon arrived in Sydney, and two years later construction of the theater began. There were many unforeseen difficulties associated with the start of work. It turned out that Utzon's project was not sufficiently developed, the design as a whole turned out to be unstable, and the engineers could not find an acceptable solution to implement the bold idea.

Another failure is an error in the construction of the foundation. As a result, it was decided to destroy the original version and start all over again. Meanwhile, the architect attached paramount importance to the foundation: in his design there were no walls as such, the roof vaults rested directly on the plane of the foundation.

Initially, Utzon believed that his idea could be realized quite simply: make sinks from reinforcing mesh, and then cover them with tiles on top. But calculations showed that this method would not be suitable for a giant roof. Engineers tried different shapes - parabolic, ellipsoidal, but without success. Time passed, money melted, customer dissatisfaction grew. Utzon, in desperation, drew dozens of different options over and over again. Finally, one fine day, it dawned on him: his gaze accidentally stopped at orange peels in the form of the usual triangular segments. This was the very form that the designers had been looking for for so long! Roof vaults, which are parts of a sphere of constant curvature, have the necessary strength and stability.

After Utzon found a solution to the problem with the roof vaults, construction resumed, but the financial costs turned out to be more significant than originally planned. According to preliminary estimates, the construction of the building required 4 years. But it took 14 long years to build. The construction budget was exceeded by more than 14 times. Customers' dissatisfaction grew so much that at a certain point they removed Utzon from work. The brilliant architect left for Denmark, never to return to Sydney. He never saw his creation, despite the fact that over time everything fell into place, and his talent and contribution to the construction of the theater was recognized not only in Australia, but throughout the world. The interior design of the Sydney Theater was done by other architects, so there is a difference between the exterior of the building and its interior.

As a result, the roof segments, seemingly crashing into each other, were made of precast and monolithic reinforced concrete. The surface of the concrete “orange peels” was covered with a huge number of tiles made in Sweden. The tiles are coated with a matte glaze, allowing the roof of the Sydney Theater to be used today as a reflective screen for video art and the projection of vibrant images. The roof panels of the Sydney Opera House were built using special cranes ordered from France - the theater was one of the first buildings in Australia to be erected using cranes. And the highest “shell” of the roof corresponds to the height of a 22-story building.

Construction of the Sydney Opera House was officially completed in 1973. The theater was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, the grand opening was accompanied by fireworks and a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The first performance performed in the new theater was S. Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace”.

Today the Sydney Opera House is Australia's largest cultural center. It hosts more than 3 thousand events annually, and has an annual audience of 2 million viewers. The theater program includes an opera called “The Eighth Miracle”, which tells about the complex history of the construction of the building.