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Sydney Opera House

Building
Type Arts complex
Architectural Style Expressionist
Structural System Concrete frame & precast concrete ribbed roof
Location Sydney, Australia
Construction
Completed 1973
Design Team
Architect Jørn Utzon
Structural engineer Ove Arup & Partners

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Jørn Utzon, AC (born 9 April 1918 is a Danish Architect most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia Arup is a professional services firm providing Engineering, Design, Planning, Project management and Consulting services for Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 28, 2007. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [1] Based on the competition winning entry by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most distinctive 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. Jørn Utzon, AC (born 9 April 1918 is a Danish Architect most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia The performing arts are those forms of Art which differ from the Plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own Body, Face and presence It was among the 20 selected finalists in the 2007 New Seven Wonders of the World project. New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders

The Sydney Opera House is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Bennelong Point is the location of the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia ( Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney Australia } The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a Steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business The building and its surroundings are one of the best known icons of Australia.

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. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance Opera Australia which is based in Sydney, is Australia 's major Opera company The Sydney Theatre Company ( STC) is one of Australia 's most well-known and notable theatre companies operating from The Wharf Theatre near The Sydney Symphony is a Symphony orchestra based in Sydney, Australia. It is administered by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts.

Contents


Description

Sydney Opera House at night
Sydney Opera House at night

The Sydney Opera House is an expressionist modern design, with a series of large precast concrete 'shells', each taken from a hemisphere of the same radius, forming the roofs of the structure. An opera house is a theater building used for Opera performances that consists of a stage an orchestra pit audience seating and backstage facilities for costumes Expressionist architecture was an architectural movement that developed in Europe during the first decades of the 20th century in parallel with the expressionist Thin-shell structures are light weight constructions using shell elements. "Globose" redirects here See also Globose nucleus. A sphere (from Greek σφαίρα - sphaira, "globe The Opera House covers 1. 8 hectares (4. 5 acres) of land. It is 183 metres (605 feet) long and about 120 metres (388 feet) wide at its widest point. It is supported on 588 concrete piers sunk up to 25 metres below sea level. Its power supply is equivalent for a town of 25,000 people. The power is distributed by 645 kilometres of electrical cable.

The roofs of the House are covered with 1. 056 million glossy white and matte cream Swedish-made tiles[2], though from a distance the tiles look only white. Despite their self-cleaning nature, they are still subject to periodic maintenance and replacement.

The Concert Hall and Opera Theatre are each contained in the two largest groups of shells, and the other theatres are located on the sides of the shell groupings. The form of the shells is chosen to reflect the internal height requirements, rising from the low entrance spaces, over the seating areas and up to the high stage towers. A much smaller group of shells set to one side of the Monumental steps houses the Bennelong Restaurant. Although the roof structures of the Sydney Opera House are commonly referred to as shells (as they are in this article), they are in fact not shells in a strictly structural sense, but are instead precast concrete panels supported by precast concrete ribs. The building's interior is composed of pink granite quarried in Tarana and wood and brush box plywood supplied from Wauchope in northern New South Wales. Tarana is a small town in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia in the City of Lithgow. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Plywood is a type of Engineered board made from thin sheets of Wood, called plies or veneers Wauchope (pronounced "War-hope" is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales, in Port Macquarie-Hastings Council. [3]

Performance venues and facilities

The Concert Hall and Grand Organ
The Concert Hall and Grand Organ

The Sydney Opera House contains five main performance spaces, other areas used for performances, a recording studio, five restaurants, and four souvenir shops. The Sydney Opera House Grand Organ is the world's largest mechanical tracker-action Pipe organ by Ronald Sharp, located in the concert hall of Sydney Opera

The five venues making up the main performance facilities:

Other spaces used for performances and other events include:

Besides theatrical productions and concerts, venues at the Sydney Opera House are also used for activities such as conferences, ceremonies, and social functions.

Construction history

Origins

Planning for the Sydney Opera House began in the late 1940s when Eugene Goossens, the Director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, lobbied for a suitable venue for large theatrical productions. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Eugène Aynsley Goossens (26 May 1893 &ndash 13 June 1962 was an English The normal venue for such productions, the Sydney Town Hall, was not considered large enough. The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark Sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. By 1954, Goossens succeeded in gaining the support of NSW Premier Joseph Cahill, who called for designs for a dedicated opera house. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Eugène Aynsley Goossens (26 May 1893 &ndash 13 June 1962 was an English See Premiers of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Premier John Joseph Cahill ( 21 January, 1891 &ndash 22 October, 1959) was Premier of New South Wales from 1952 to 1959 It was also Goossens who insisted that Bennelong Point be the site for the Opera House. Cahill had wanted it to be on or near Wynyard Railway Station in the north-west of the CBD. Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the Central business district of Sydney Australia, 2

The competition was launched by Cahill on 13 September 1955 and received a total of 233 entries from 32 countries. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The criteria specified a large hall seating 3000 and a small hall for 1200 people, each to be designed for different uses including full-scale operas, orchestral and choral concerts, mass meetings, lectures, ballet performances and other presentations. [4] The basic design announced in 1957 was submitted by Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect. Jørn Utzon, AC (born 9 April 1918 is a Danish Architect most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia Utzon arrived in Sydney in 1957 to help supervise the project. [5]

Design and construction of the Opera House

Construction progress in 1968
Construction progress in 1968
Opera house as seen in 2007
Opera house as seen in 2007

The Fort Macquarie Tram Depot, occupying the site at the time of these plans, was demolished in 1958, and formal construction of the Opera House began in March, 1959. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Built|1897 Status|demolishedDemolished|1960 Succeded by|Sydney Opera HouseThe Fort Macquarie Tram Depot or Sydney Tram Depot was built on Bennelong The project was built in three stages. Stage I (1959–1963) consisted of building the upper podium. Stage II (1963–1967) saw the construction of the outer shells. Stage III consisted of the interior design and construction (1967–73).

Stage I: Podium

Stage I commenced on December 5, 1958, by the construction firm Civil & Civic. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lend Lease Corporation Limited is an Australian-based multinational property management and investment company 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 (most notably the sails, which were still parabolic at the time). By January 23, 1961, work was running 47 weeks behind, mainly because of unexpected difficulties (inclement weather, unexpected difficulty diverting stormwater, construction beginning before proper construction drawings had been prepared, changes of original contract documents). Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Work on the podium was finally completed on August 31, 1962. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The forced early start led to significant later problems, not least of which was the fact that the podium columns were not strong enough to support the roof structure, and had to be re-built. [6]

Stage II: Roof

Sydney Opera House shell ribs
Sydney Opera House shell ribs

The shells of the competition entry were originally of undefined geometry,[7] but early in the design process the "shells" were perceived as a series of parabolas supported by precast concrete ribs. Thin-shell structures are light weight constructions using shell elements. Geometry ( Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth metria = measure is a part of Mathematics concerned with questions of size shape and relative position Design is used both as a Noun and a Verb. The term is often tied to the various Applied arts and Engineering (See design disciplines In Mathematics, the parabola (pəˈræbələ from the Greek παραβολή) is a Conic section, the intersection of a right circular Precast concrete is a form of construction where concrete is cast in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment transported to the construction However, engineers Ove Arup and partners were unable to find an acceptable solution to constructing them. Arup is a professional services firm providing Engineering, Design, Planning, Project management and Consulting services for The formwork for using in-situ concrete would have been prohibitively expensive, but because there was no repetition in any of the roof forms the construction of precast concrete for each individual section would possibly be even more expensive. Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent moulds into which Concrete or similar materials are poured In situ (ɪn siːˈtuː is a Latin phrase meaning in the place.

From 1957 to 1963 the design team went through at least twelve iterations of the form of the shells trying to find an economically acceptable form (including schemes with parabolas, circular ribs and ellipsoids) before a workable solution was completed. An ellipsoid is a type of quadric surface that is a higher dimensional analogue of an Ellipse. The design work on the shells involved one of the earliest uses of computers in structural analysis in order to understand the complex forces the shells would be subject to. A computer is a Machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions. Structural analysis comprises the set of physical laws and mathematics required to study and predict the behavior of structures In Physics, a force is whatever can cause an object with Mass to Accelerate. [8] In mid-1961 the design team found a solution to the problem: the shells all being created as sections from a sphere. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Globose" redirects here See also Globose nucleus. A sphere (from Greek σφαίρα - sphaira, "globe

With whom exactly this solution originated has been the subject of some controversy. It was originally credited to Utzon. Ove Arup's letter to Ashworth, a member of the Sydney Opera House Executive Committee, states: "Utzon came up with an idea of making all the shells of uniform curvature throughout in both directions. "[8] Peter Jones, the author of Ove Arup's biography, states that "the architect and his supporters alike claimed to recall the precise eureka moment . . . ; the engineers and some of their associates, with equal conviction, recall discussion in both central London and at Ove's house". He goes on to claim that "the existing evidence shows that Arup's canvassed several possibilities for the geometry of the shells, from parabolas to ellipsoids and spheres. "[8] Yuzo Mikami, a member of the design team, presents an opposite view in his book on the project, Utzon's Sphere. [9][10] It is unlikely that the truth will ever be categorically known, but there is a clear consensus that the design team worked very well indeed for the first part of the project and Utzon, Arup, and Ronald Jenkins (partner of Ove Arup and Partners responsible for the Opera House project) all played a very significant part in the design development. [11] As Peter Murray states in The Saga of the Sydney Opera House[6]:

“ . Peter Murray (Hon FRIBA. FRSA) is a British Architect and Journalist who has made a career in architectural communications and surface . . the two men - and their teams - enjoyed a collaboration that was remarkable in its fruitfulness and, despite many traumas, was seen by most of those involved in the project as a high point of architect/engineer collaboration. ”

The shells were constructed by Hornibrook Group Pty Ltd[12], who were also responsible for construction in Stage III. Bilfinger Berger ( is a large internationally active construction company based in Mannheim, Germany. Hornibrook manufactured the 2400 precast ribs and 4000 roof panels in an on-site factory, and also developed the construction processes. [6] The achievement of this solution avoided the need for expensive formwork construction by allowing the use of precast units (it also allowed the roof tiles to be prefabricated in sheets on the ground, instead of being stuck on individually at height). Ove Arup and Partners' site engineer supervised the construction of the shells which used an innovative adjustable steel trussed 'erection arch' to support the different roofs before completion. On April 6, 1962 it was estimated that the Opera House would be completed between August 1964 and March 1965. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By the end of 1965, the estimated finish for stage II was July 1967.

Stage III: Interiors

Stage III, the interiors, started with Utzon moving his entire office to Sydney in February 1963. However, there was a change of government in 1965, and the new Robert Askin government declared the project under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Works. Sir Robert William Askin, GCMG ( April 4 1907 - September 9 1981) was Premier of New South Wales from 1965 to 1975 This ultimately led to Utzon's resignation (see below).

The cost of the project so far, even in October of that year, was still only $22. 9 million, less than a quarter of the final cost. However the projected costs for the design were at this stage much more significant.

In 1966, following Utzon's resignation, the acoustic advisor, Lothar Cremer, confirmed to SOHEC that Utzon's original acoustic design only allowed for 2000 seats in the main hall, and further stated that increasing the number of seats to 3000 as specified in the brief would be disastrous for the acoustics. An architectural brief is in its broadest sense a requirement a client may have that an Architect designs to meet usually by creating a building to accommodate the requirement(s According to Peter Jones, the stage designer, Martin Carr, criticised the "shape, height and width of the stage, the physical facilities for artists, the location of the dressing rooms, the widths of doors and lifts, and the location of lighting switchboards". [8]

The second stage of construction was still in process when Utzon resigned. His position was principally taken over by Peter Hall, who became largely responsible for the interior design. Other persons appointed that same year to replace Utzon were E. H. Farmer as government architect, D. S. Littlemore and Lionel Todd.

The four significant changes to the design after Utzon left were:

  1. The cladding to the podium and the paving (the podium was originally not to be clad down to the water, but to be left open).
  2. The construction of the glass walls (Utzon was planning to use a system of prefabricated plywood mullions, but a different system was designed to deal with the glass). A mullion is a structural element which divides adjacent Window units
  3. Use of the halls (The major hall which was originally to be a multipurpose opera/concert hall, became solely a concert hall, called the Concert Hall. The minor hall, originally for stage productions only, had the added function of opera and ballet to deal with and is called the Opera Theatre. As a result, the "Opera Theatre" is inadequate to stage large scale opera and ballet. A theatre, a cinema and a library were also added, (later changed to two live drama theatres and a studio). These changes were primarily because of inadequacies in the original competition brief, which did not make it adequately clear how the Opera House was to be used. The layout of the interiors was changed and the stage machinery, already designed and fitted inside the major hall, was pulled out and largely thrown away.
  4. The interior designs: Utzon's plywood corridor designs, and his acoustic and seating designs for the interior of both major halls, were scrapped completely. His design for the Concert Hall was rejected as it only seated 2000, which was considered insufficient. [8] Utzon employed the acoustic consultant Lothar Cremer, and his designs for the major halls were later modelled and found to be very good. The subsequent Todd, Hall and Littlemore versions of both major halls have some problems with acoustics, particularly for the performing musicians. The orchestra pit in the Opera Theatre is cramped and dangerous to musicians' hearing. [13] The Concert Hall has a very high roof leading to lack of early reflections onstage - perspex rings (the "acoustic clouds") hanging over the stage were added shortly before opening in an (unsuccessful) attempt to address this problem.

The Opera House was formally completed in 1973, having cost $102 million. H. R. ‘Sam’ Hoare, the Hornibrook director in charge of the project, provided the following approximations in 1973: Stage I: podium Civil & Civic P/L approximately $5. 5m. Stage II: roof shells M. R. Hornibrook (NSW) P/L approximately $12. 5m. Stage III: completion The Hornibrook Group $56. 5m. Separate contracts: stage equipment, stage lighting and organ $9. 0m. Fees and other costs $16. 5m.

The original cost estimate in 1957 was £3,500,000 ($7 million). The pound was the currency of Australia until 1966 It was subdivided into 20 Shillings each of 12 pence. The original completion date set by the government was January 26, 1963. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [8]

Utzon and his resignation

Before the Sydney Opera House competition, Utzon had won seven of the eighteen competitions he had entered, but had never seen any of his designs built. [8] Utzon's submitted concept for the Sydney Opera House was almost universally admired and considered groundbreaking. The Assessors Report of January 1957, stated:

“ The drawings submitted for this scheme are simple to the point of being diagrammatic. Nevertheless, as we have returned again and again to the study of these drawings, we are convinced that they present a concept of an Opera House which is capable of becoming one of the great buildings of the world. ”

For the first stage of the project Utzon worked very successfully with the rest of the design team and the client, but as the project progressed it became clear (with the revised hall usage insisted by the clients) that the competition requirements had been inadequate with regards to acoustics, specifications of performance spaces and other areas, and that the client had not appreciated the costs or work involved in design and construction. Tensions between the client and the design team grew further when an early start to construction was demanded despite an incomplete design. In the fields of Architecture and Civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the Building or assembling of Infrastructure

The relationship of client, architect, engineers and contractors became an increasing point of tension, between Utzon and the clients, and also Utzon and Arup. Utzon believed the clients should receive information on all aspects of the design and construction through his practice, while the clients wanted a system (notably drawn in sketch form by Davis Hughes) where architect, contractors, and engineers each reported to the client directly. Sir Davis Hughes ( 24 November 1910 – 16 March 2003) was an Australian politician This difference had great implications for procurement methods and cost control, with Utzon wishing to negotiate contracts with chosen suppliers (such as Ralph Symonds for the plywood interiors), and the Australian government insisting contracts were put out to tender. Procurement is the acquisition of goods and/or services at the best possible Total cost of ownership, in the right quantity and quality at the right time in the right place Calls for bids or calls for tenders or invitations to tender (ITT (often called tenders for short are special procedures to generate competing offers [6]

However, the reasons for Arup's need to be able to contact the clients directly were equally clear. Peter Murray explains that:

“ when he moved to Australia, he closed his office down for three months and went travelling. Arups were unable to contact him and were forced to make a number of design choices without Utzon's input. This was to have a significant effect on Utzon's relationship with his engineers. ”

Utzon was highly reluctant to respond to questions or criticism from the client's "Sydney Opera House Executive Committee" (SOHEC). [8] However Utzon was greatly supported throughout by Professor Harry Ingham Ashworth, a member of the committee and one of the original competition judges. However, the relationship was not helped by Utzon, who was unwilling to compromise on some aspects of his designs that the clients wanted to change. As he said to Jack Zunz, the senior member of the structural design team, in 1961: "I don't care what it costs. I don't care how long it takes. I don't care what scandal it causes. That is what I want. "[8]

Utzon consistently claimed to have solved all problems "in his head", but he was reluctant to produce either drawings or documentation in order to demonstrate, cost or later construct his design vision. Peter Murray states:[6]

“ Utzon was continually investigating new solutions but, with a reluctance to commit himself, he would worry away at a problem for months. ”

During the concept and early design stages this was no problem, but later in the process it led to considerable tensions. Utzon's ability was never in doubt, and indeed Ove Arup stated that Utzon was "probably the best of any I have come across in my long experience of working with architects", and: "The Opera House could become the world's foremost contemporary masterpiece if Utzon is given his head. "[8]

Throughout the following years the relationship only got worse, with Utzon refusing access to drawings and documents by the Minister of Public Works' representative, and in 1964 dropping all first names from project correspondence, referring to people only as "Dear Sir". [8] At the same time, there were also arguments over work Utzon had carried out and not received payment for. Arups were increasingly cast in the role of peacekeepers, and had to reconcile the two sides. Jack Zunz, a member of the Arup design team, stated following a meeting with Utzon in London in 1964:

“ He put up very powerful arguments to support his case and insists . . . we support him loyally as he has supported us in Stages I and II. We should do this. . . . . provided it does not conflict with our basic responsibilities to the client. ”

In May 1965, Davis Hughes became Minister for Public Works. Sir Davis Hughes ( 24 November 1910 – 16 March 2003) was an Australian politician In October 1965, Utzon gave Hughes a schedule setting out the completion dates of parts of his work for stage III. Hughes withheld permission for the construction of plywood prototypes for the interiors.

Utzon was at this time working closely with Ralph Symonds, a manufacturer of plywood based in Sydney and highly regarded by many, despite Arup's warnings in March 1964 that Ralph Symonds' "knowledge of the design stresses of plywood, was extremely sketchy" and that the technical advice was "elementary to say the least and completely useless for our purposes". Plywood is a type of Engineered board made from thin sheets of Wood, called plies or veneers Ralph Symonds went broke within the year. [8] However, the relationship between Utzon and the client never recovered, and the government minutes record that following several threats of resignation, Utzon stated to Davis Hughes: "If you don't do it, I resign". Hughes replied: "I accept your resignation. Thank you very much. Goodbye. "[8]

Utzon left the project on February 28, 1966. Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. He said that Hughes' refusal to pay Utzon any fees and the lack of collaboration caused his resignation, and later famously described the situation as "Malice in Blunderland". In March 1966, Hughes offered him a reduced role as 'design architect' under a panel of executive architects, without any supervisory powers over the House's construction, but Utzon rejected this.

Following the resignation, there was great controversy about who was in the right and who was in the wrong. The Sydney Morning Herald initially reported:

“ No architect in the world has enjoyed greater freedom than Mr Utzon. The Sydney Morning Herald ( SMH) is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia Few clients have been more patient or more generous than the people and the Government of NSW. One would not like history to record that this partnership was brought to an end by a fit of temper on the one side or by a fit of meanness on the other. ”

However on 17 March 1966 it reported:[8]

“ It was not his fault that a succession of Governments and the Opera House Trust should so signally have failed to impose any control or order on the project . Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. . . . his concept was so daring that he himself could solve its problems only step by step . . . . his insistence on perfection led him to alter his design as he went along. ”

To this day, opinion is still split on the roles of the different parties in the project. [14][15]

Consequences for Utzon, architecture and engineering

In an article in Harvard Design Magazine in 2005 [16], professor Bent Flyvbjerg argues that Utzon fell victim to a politically lowballed construction budget, which eventually resulted in a cost overrun of 1,400 percent. Bent Flyvbjerg (born in Denmark December 10 1952 is an urban geographer and planner who has written extensively about Megaprojects, Power and Rationality Cost underestimation is defined as the act of assessing the Cost of a future venture lower than what actual cost turned out to be once the venture was implemented Cost overrun is defined as excess of actual Cost over Budget. The overrun and the ensuing scandal that it created kept Utzon from building more masterpieces. This, according to Flyvbjerg, is the real cost of the Sydney Opera House.

The Sydney Opera House opened the way for the immensely complex geometries of some modern architecture. The design was one of the first examples of the use of computer analysis to design complex shapes. The design techniques developed by Utzon and Arup for the Sydney Opera House have been further developed and are now used for architecture such as works of Gehry and "blobitecture", as well as most reinforced concrete structures. Frank Owen Gehry CC (born Ephraim Owen Goldberg, February 28, 1929) is a Pritzker Prize -winning Architect Blobitecture from blob architecture, blobism or blobismus are terms for a movement in Architecture in which buildings have an organic The design is also one of the first in the world to use araldite to glue the precast structural elements together, and proved the concept for future use. Araldite is a registered Trademark of Huntsman Advanced Materials (previously part of Ciba) referring to their range of engineering and structural Glue or adhesive is a compound that adheres or bonds two items together

The Opera House was also a first in mechanical engineering. Another Danish firm, Steensen Varming, were responsible for designing the new air conditioning plant, the largest in Australia at the time, supplying over 600,000 cubic feet of air per minute [17], using the innovative idea of harnessing the harbour water to create a water cooled heat pump system that is still in operation today [18]

Opening

Gold lettering on collectible Sydney Opera House wine, a Riesling
Gold lettering on collectible Sydney Opera House wine, a Riesling

The Opera House was formally opened by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on October 20, 1973, which a crowd of millions attended. Riesling is a white Grape variety which originates in the Rhine region of Germany. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The opening was televised and included fireworks and a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. The Symphony No 9 in D minor Op 125 "Choral" is the last complete Symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Prior to the opening, two performances had already taken place in the finished building. On September 28, 1973, a performance of Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace was played at the Opera Theatre. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Серге́й Серге́евич Проко́фьев Sergéj Sergéjevič Prokófjev) ( - 5 March 1953 was a Russian composer who War and Peace ( Op 91) ( Война и мир in Russian, Voyna i mir in Transliteration) is an Opera in two On September 29, the first public concert in the Concert Hall took place. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. It was performed by the Sydney Symphony, conducted by Charles Mackerras and with accompanying singer Birgit Nilsson. The Sydney Symphony is a Symphony orchestra based in Sydney, Australia. WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Sir Alan Charles Maclaurin Mackerras AC CH Birgit Nilsson ( May 17, 1918 &ndash December 25, 2005) was a Swedish Dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic

During the construction of the Opera House, a number of lunchtime performances were arranged for the workers, with Paul Robeson the first artist to perform at the (unfinished) Opera House in 1960. Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson ( April 9, 1898 &ndash January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American Actor, athlete

Reconciliation with Utzon and new works

Beginning in the late 1990s, the Sydney Opera House Trust began to communicate with Jørn Utzon in an attempt to effect a reconciliation, and to secure his involvement in future changes to the building. In 1999 he was appointed by the Sydney Opera House Trust as a design consultant for future work. [19] In 2004, the first interior space rebuilt to match Utzon's original design was opened, and renamed "The Utzon Room" in his honour. [20] In April 2007, he proposed a major reconstruction of the Opera Theatre. [21]

In 1993 Constantine Koukias was commissioned by the Sydney Opera House Trust in association with REM Theatre to compose Icon, a large-scale music theatre piece for the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House. Constantine Koukias (born 1965 is a Greek - Australian Composer.

The Utzon Room rebuilt and redecorated to conform to Utzon's original design
The Utzon Room rebuilt and redecorated to conform to Utzon's original design

See also

References

  1. ^ Braithwaite, David. During her many visits to Australia, Queen Elizabeth II has opened sessions of parliament and unveiled various buildings venues and other things "Opera House wins top status", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-06-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul.  
  2. ^ Företagsbroschyr. CCHöganäs. CCHöganäs. Retrieved on 2008-03-10. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing
  3. ^ Sydney Opera House. Tom Fletcher. Retrieved on 2008-02-10. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead
  4. ^ Ziegler, Oswald L. (ed) (1973). Sydney Builds an Opera House. Oswald Ziegler Publications, p. 35.  
  5. ^ Millennium Masterwork: Jorn Utzon's Sydney Opera House. Hugh Pearman. Gabion. Retrieved on 2007-06-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul.
  6. ^ a b c d e Murray, Peter (2004). The Saga of the Sydney Opera House. London: Spon Press. ISBN 0415325218.  
  7. ^ Arup, Ove and Zunz, G. J. : Article in Structural Engineer Volume 47, March 1969
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jones, Peter: Ove Arup: Masterbuilder of the Twentieth Century. Yale University Press, 2006.
  9. ^ Bentley, Paul (September 2001). A Matter of Integrity – A Review of Yuzo Mikami's Utzon's Sphere. The Wolanski Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain
  10. ^ Mikami, Yuzo: Utzon's Sphere, Tokyo: Shoku Kusha. 2001.
  11. ^ Hunt, Tony (October 2001). Utzon's Sphere: Sydney Opera House - How It Was Designed and Built - Review. EMAP Architecture, Gale Group. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain
  12. ^ Bilfinger Berger corporate history
  13. ^ Sydney Morning Herald (Joyce Morgan) (November 2006). The phantoms that threaten the opera house. Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.
  14. ^ The Sydney Opera House: How government policy imperiled an architectural masterpiece
  15. ^ The Sydney Opera House
  16. ^ http://flyvbjerg.plan.aau.dk/HARVARDDESIGN63PRINT.pdf
  17. ^ Sunday Mail, 9th April 1972
  18. ^ A. Watts Building a masterpiece 2006
  19. ^ Sydney Opera House Media Release (August 1999). Utzon Appointment: 'Reunites The Man and his Masterpiece'. Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.
  20. ^ chiefengineer. org. The Sydney Opera House. Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.
  21. ^ Benns, Matthew. "Utzon wants to tear up floor of the Opera House", The Sydney Morning Herald, 2007-04-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Retrieved on 2007-04-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.  

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