SIDNEY OPERA HOUSE
...ected difficulty diverting stormwater, construction beginning before proper engineering drawings had been prepared, changes of original contract documents). Work on the podium was finally completed on August 31, 1962. Stage II, the shells were a originally designed as a series of parabolas, however engineers Ove Arup and partners had not been able to find an acceptable solution to constructing them. In mid 1961 Utzon handed the engineers his solution to the problem, the shells all being created as ribs from a sphere of the same radius. This not only satisfied the engineers, and cut down the project time drastically from what it could have been (it also allowed the roof tiles to be prefabricated in sheets on the ground, instead of being stuck on individually in mid-air), but also created the wonderful shapes so instantly recognisable today. Ove Arup and partners supervised the construction of the shells, estimating on April 6, 1962 that it would be completed between August 1964, and March 1965. By the end of 1965, the estimated finish for stage II was July 1967. 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 Askin government declared that the project was now under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public Works. In October 1965, Utzon gave the Minister for Public Works, Davis Hughes, a schedule setting out the completion dates of parts of his work for stage III. Significantly, Hughes withheld permission for the construction of plywood prototypes for the interiors (Utzon was at this time working closely with Ralph Symonds, an inventive and progressive manufacturer of plywood, based in Sydney). This eventually forced Utzon to leave the project on February 28th, 1966. He said that Hughes'es 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. The cost of the project, even in October of that year, was still only $22.9 million, less than a quarter of the final cost. [edit] Construction after Utzon The second stage of construction was still in process when Utzon was forced to resign. His postion was largely 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 since 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 left open. Also the paving chosen was different to what Utzon what have chosen) 2. The construction of the glass walls (Utzon was planning to use a system of prefabricated plywood mullions, and although eventually a quite inventive system was created to deal with the glass, it is different to Utzons design) 3. Use of the halls (The major hall was originally to be a multipurpose opera/concert hall became solely a concert hall. The minor hall, originally for stage productions only, had the added function of opera to deal with. Two more theatres were also added. This completely changed the layour of the interiors, where the stage machinery, already designed and fitted inside the major hall, was pulled out and largely thrown away) 4. The interior designs (Utzons plywood corridoor designs, and his acoustic and seating designs for the interior of both halls, were scrapped completely.) The opera house was formally completed in 1973, to a bill of $102 million. The original cost estimate in 1957, was £3,500,000 ($7 million). The original completion date set by the government was January 26, 1963. [edit] Opening The Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. The opening was televised and included fireworks and a performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Prior to the opening, two performances had already taken place there. On September 28, 1973, a performance of Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace was played at the Opera Theatre. On September 29, the first public concert in the Concert Hall took place. It was performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Mackerras and with accompanying singer Birgit Nilsson. [edit] After the opening In 1975, its substantial construction bill was finally paid off, mainly through a public lottery system. Sails of the Opera House with Harbour Bridge in background and the Monumental Steps in the foreground It has been subject to some additions and improvements since its opening. Its Concert Hall had a pipe organ, with 10500 pipes, added to it in 1979. It was designed and built by Ronald Sharp. In 1988, a two-level walkway along the western side of Bennelong Point was added as part of Australia's bicentenary celebrations. In 1999, a fifth theatre, the Playhouse, was added to the Opera House. In 1997, French urban climber, Alain "Spiderman" Robert, using only his bare hands and feet and with no safety devices of any kind, scaled the building's exterior wall all the way to the top. It received attention during Sydney 2000 Olympics. It was included in the Olympic Torch route to the Olympic stadium, and involved Australian swimmer Samantha Riley standing on top of the Opera House waving the Olympic torch. It was the backdrop of some Olympic events, including the triathlon—which began at the Opera House—and the yachting events on Sydney Harbour. Security at the Opera House has increased as the result of the likelihood of it attracting attention of terrorists because the Australian Government's support of the invasion of Iraq. This security did not prevent two climbers painting a "No War" slogan at the top of one sail in March 2003. The repair bill for this was later revealed to be over $100,000. Following an arrangement made in 1999, plans were made to change Hall's internal design of the Opera House to that of Utzon's. The redesign involves the house's reception hall and opera theatre, and will be supervised by Utzon. As Utzon is too old to travel by plane, he undertakes the supervision from his home in Majorca. Allowances will be made for modern day technology and requirements. In September 2004, the redesign of the Reception Hall of the opera house was completed, but is now only rarely available for public inspection. Search Welcome to About.com What is About.com? I'm Jackie Craven, your Guide to Architecture. If this undefined search is not what you were looking for, you may want to see our other popular topics, such as Design & Build, Remodel & Restore, or Find Products & Services. FREE Architecture Newsletter Architecture Great Buildings by Jackie Craven The Sydney Opera House Begun in 1957 Designed by JЬrn Utzon, 2003 Pritzker Prize Laureate Completed in 1973 under the direction of Peter Hall Bennelong Point Sydney, Australia The Sydney Opera House broke all the rules when it won an international competition in 1957. Today, this Modern Expressionist building is one of the most famous, and most photographed, structures of the 20th century. Overlooking the harbor, the Sydney Opera House is a freestanding sculpture of spherical roofs and sail-like shells sheathed in white ceramic tiles. Stabilizing this unconventional structure required innovations in construction techniques. Like many of Utzon's designs, the Sydney Opera House makes ingenious use of platforms. Utzon explained his design as follows: ⌠...the idea has been to let the platform cut through like a knife and separate primary and secondary functions completely. On top of the platform the spectators receive the completed work of art and beneath the platform every preparation for it takes place.■ Utzon continued, ⌠To express the platform and avoid destroying it is a very important thing, when you start building on top of it. A flat roof does not express the flatness of the platform...in the schemes for the Sydney Opera House...you can see the roofs, curved forms, hanging higher or lower over the plateau. The contrast of forms and the constantly changing heights between these two elements result in spaces of great architectural force made possible by the modern structural approach to concrete construction, which has given so many beautiful tools into the hands of the architect.■ The saga of the opera house actually began in 1957, when, at the age of 38, JЬrn Utzon was still a relatively unknown architect with a practice in Denmark near where Shakespeare had located Hamlet▓s castle. He was living in a small seaside town with his wife and three childen ≈ one son, Kim, born that year; another son Jan, born in 1944, and a daughter, Lin, born in 1946 ≈ all three would follow in their father▓s foosteps and become architects. Their home was a house in HellebФk that he had built just five years before, one of the few designs that he had actually realized since opening his studio in 1945. JЬrn Utzon had just entered an anonymous competition for an opera house to be built in Australia on a point of land jutting into Sydney harbor. Out of some 230 entries from over thirty countries, his concept was selected ≈ described by the media at the time as ⌠three shell-like concrete vaults covered with white tiles.■ The Sydney Opera House is actually a complex of theatres and halls all linked together beneath its famous shells. Since its opening in 1973, it has become the busiest performing arts centre in the world, averaging some 3000 events a year with audiences totaling some two million, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week closing only on Christmas and Good Friday. Books have been written, and films made chronicling the sixteen years it took to complete the Sydney Opera House. Utzon, who is described as being an intensely private person was unwittingly entangled in political intrigues and besieged by a hostile press, which eventually forced him out of the project before it was completed. The...