No building on earth looks like the Sydney
Opera House. Covering almost 1.82ha (4.5 acres) the Opera House
is Sydney's most popular tourist attraction, and is also one of
the worlds busiest performing arts centres. But the Opera House
is more than a just tourist attraction, it is a presence, a part
of the landscape that seems to have been there forever, and it
is impossible to imagine the Harbour without it. Each time the
sun shines on it just a little different than the moment before,
each time the blue Harbour waters reflect off the tile and glass
exterior, it seems to change personality, to change moods. Even
Sydneysiders who have seen it for years are awestruck when they
catch a glimpse of it through the corner of their eye.
Design
In 1957, Jørn Utzon won an international
competition to design the Opera House. He envisioned a building
that could be viewed from any angle- land, sea, or air- with the
roofs as a "fifth façade". It presented architectural and
engineering problems that had never been encountered before.
When the construction began in 1959, the original design was
impossible to execute and had to be greatly modified. Utzon
resigned in 1966 and an Australian design team completed the
building interior. An appeal fund was set up, eventually raising
A$900,000, while the Opera House Lottery raised the balance of
the A$102 million final cost. The Opera House took 14 years to
complete and was opened in October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II.
You can explore the Opera House by walking
around it, or you can join a tour which operates daily. There
are many public walkways around the Opera House that allow close
up views from many different vantage points. Inside, there are
three main parts to the Opera House: the Opera Theatre, the
Concert Hall, and the Drama Theatre and Playhouse.
The Opera Theatre is a relatively small venue, seating only
1,547 people. The ceiling and walls are painted black to focus
attention on the stage. The proscenium opening is 12m (39 ft)
wide, and the stage extends back 25 m (82 ft), while the pit
accommodates 75 musicians.
The Concert Hall is the largest hall, with
seating for 2,690 people. It is admired for the rich concert
acoustics, and the 18 acoustic rings above the stage reflect
back the sound. The 10,500 pipe Grand Organ was designed and
built by Ronald Sharp from 1969 to 1979. The Concert Hall is
used for choral, symphony, jazz, folk, and pop concerts, chamber
music, opera, and dance.
The Drama Theatre and Playhouse, seating
almost 400 people, is ideal for small productions while also
being able to host plays with larger casts. The stage is 15 m
(160 ft) square, and can be clearly viewed from every seat in
the auditorium. Refrigerated aluminium panels in the ceiling
control the temperature.
There is much to see on the outside of the
Opera House as well. The roof, which looks smooth from a
distance, is actually made up of tile. The tiles were not fixed
in place individually, but instead were installed in panels to
create the smooth and continuous roof surface. On Sundays, The
Monument Steps and forecourt are used for outdoor films and free
entertainment, where you can listen to jazz, folk, or soft rock
bands playing. Next to the Opera House are small stands where
you can buy a variety of offerings, from old photographs to
souvenir boomerangs. And if you feel the need to escape the
crowds, the Botanic Gardens are a just a short walk away. Tours
of the Opera House operate daily, from 9am to 4pm.
