The green continent is famous all over the world not only thanks to kangaroos, koalas, the warm ocean and the bronze gods of surfing. There are also unique structures. At Cape Bennelong, like a fantastic sailboat, stands a bulk of concrete and glass. This is a world famous opera house. In Sydney, you can see many tourists every day. And be sure that one half of them has already seen a unique building, and the other will certainly visit it in the near future.
New miracle
If foreigners can easily recognize Moscow by the St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, the Mausoleum, then the fancy opera house undoubtedly revives Sydney in our imagination. Photos of this attraction can be seen on any souvenir products from Australia. The snow-white mass rising above the harbor has become one of the masterpieces of world architecture. The building has not only a striking exterior, but also a curious history.
Sydney Opera House in numbers
The height of the building is 67 meters. The length of the building is 185 meters, and the distance in the widest place is 120 m. The weight, according to the calculations of engineers, is 161,000 tons, and the area is 2.2 hectares. There are about 1 million tiles on the roof slopes. In addition to the two largest halls, there are more than 900 rooms. At the same time, the theater can accommodate approximately 10,000 spectators. The Sydney Opera House is visited by 4 million people a year.
A bit of history
Australia has never been a center of musical culture. By the beginning of the twentieth century, a symphony orchestra was functioning on the mainland, but it did not have its own premises. Only when the post of chief director was received by Eugene Gusens did they talk about it out loud. However, the war and the post-war period did not lead to the beginning of large-scale projects. Only by the middle of the twentieth century, in 1955, the government issued a building permit. But the budget still did not allocate funds. The search for investors began in 1954 and did not stop throughout the construction. 233 architects presented in the competition for the best project. Already at this stage, it became clear where the new musical theater will be built. In Sydney, of course.
Most of the applications were rejected by the jury, but one of the commission members - Eero Saarinen - actively advocated for some unsuccessful applicant. It turned out to be a native of Denmark - Jorn Utzon. For the implementation of the project 4 years were allotted, the budget amounted to 7 million dollars. Despite plans, by the end of the 60s the Sydney Opera House was still under construction. The architect was accused of not fitting into the budget and not able to translate his plan into reality. With sin in half, the construction was still over. And in 1973, Queen Elizabeth II took part in the opening of the theater. Instead of the required four years for the construction, the project required 14, and instead of 7 million of the budget - 102. Be that as it may, the building was built in good faith. Even after 40 years, he still did not need repairs.
Theater architectural style
In the post-war period, the so-called international style reigned in architecture, the favorite forms of which were gray concrete boxes of a purely utilitarian purpose. Australia has also been in this fashion. The Sydney Opera House was a happy exception. It was in the 50s that the world was tired of the monotony and began to gain popularity in a new style - structural expressionism. His great follower was Eero Saarinen, thanks to whom a little-known Dane conquered Sydney. Photos of this theater can now be found in any textbook on architecture. The building is a classic example of expressionism. The design for that time was innovative, but in the era of the search for fresh forms, it came in handy.
According to the requirement of the government, the premises had to have two rooms. One was intended for opera, ballet and symphony concerts, the second for chamber music and dramatic productions. The architect designed the Sydney Opera House from two buildings, and not from the same number of halls. It is noteworthy that in fact it is devoid of walls. On a single base is a structure of many roofs that have the shape of a sail. They are covered with white self-cleaning tiles. During festivals and holidays in the arches of the opera, grandiose light shows are organized.
What's inside?
Under the two largest arches are concert and opera areas. They are very large-scale, have their own names. The Concert Hall is the largest. It can accommodate almost 2700 spectators. The second largest is the Opera Hall. It is designed for 1547 people. It is decorated with the "Curtain of the Sun" - the largest in the world. There is also the Curtain of the Moon, paired to him, located in the Drama Hall. As the name suggests, it is intended for dramatic productions. The Playhouse Hall hosts film screenings. Sometimes it serves as a lecture hall. Studio Hall is the newest of all. Here you can join the modern theatrical art.
In the decoration of the premises were used wood, plywood and pink Turin granite. Some fragments of the interiors evoke associations with the ship deck, continuing the theme of a giant ship.
Interesting Facts
Some say that the Sydney Opera House is a fantastic sailboat, others see a grotto system, and others see pearl shells. According to one version, Utzon admitted in an interview that he was inspired by the peel carefully removed from an orange. There is a bike that Eero Saarinen chose the project after drinking. Tired of an endless series of applications, the chairman of the commission simply took out at random a few sheets from a common pile. It seems that the legend appeared not without the participation of envious Utzon.
Beautiful vaulted ceilings disturbed the acoustics in the building. Of course, this was unacceptable for the opera house. To solve the problem, internal ceilings were designed that reflect sound in accordance with all the rules of theatrical construction.
Sadly, Utzon was not destined to see his brainchild completed. After being removed from the building, he left Australia to never return here again. Even after being awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2003 , he did not come to Sydney to take a look at the theater he had built. A year after the UNESCO organization assigned the status of a World Heritage Site to the opera building , the architect passed away.