The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Hosting over 1,500 performances a year, the facility draws more than a million guests annually. Lesley Koenig shares some history and her thoughts on this modern mecca of arts and entertainment.

1. The
Sydney
Opera
House

2. The
Sydney
Opera
is
one
of
the
most
widely
recognized
facili:es
in
the
world.

3. The
compelling,
expressionist
design
was
created
by
Danish
architect
Jørn
Utzon,
who
won
the
design
compe::on
in
1957.

4. Sixteen
years
passed
before
the
formal
opening
in
1973.

5. It’s
construc:on
was
mired
by
setbacks,
exceeded
budgets
and
tension
between
client
and
design
team
—
culmina:ng
in
Utzon’s
resigna:on
in
1966.

6. Its
extremely
complex
and
forward-­‐
thinking
design
required
adapta:on
and
experimenta:on,
both
of
which
are
difficult
pills
to
swallow
for
local
governments
where
poli:cs,
dissenters
and
opponents
are
in
no
short
supply.

7. Fortunately,
the
board
of
the
Opera
House
reconciled
with
Utzon
in
the
1990s
and
he
became
ac:ve
once
again
in
its
upkeep
and
renova:ons.

8. He
was
an
ac:ve
member
of
the
board
un:l
his
death
in
2008.

9. Its
white,
layered
shells
suggest
images
of
the
sails
of
boats
sailing
in
and
out
of
the
Sydney
Harbor,
at
the
mouth
of
which
the
opera
house
sits.

10. The
drama
of
the
structure
surely
influences
all
performance-­‐goers
as
well
as
the
cast
and
crew
of
it’s
produc:ons.

11. A
triumph
of
architecture
and
design,
the
Sydney
Opera
house
is
a
global
hub
and
art
and
entertainment.

12. As
an
aWrac:on,
the
Sydney
Opera
House
draws
millions
of
visitors
annually.

13. It’s
name
would
suggest
a
single
performance
space,
but
the
facility
is
home
to
many
performance
venues
and
hosts
over
1,500
performances
a
year.

14. The
Sydney
Opera’s
iconic
visual
quality
has
become
part
of
the
cultural
fabric
of
Australia
and
of
the
global
art
community.

15. The
Sydney
Opera
is
con:nuing
to
expand
the
viewing
public’s
ideas
of
opera
and
art
with
its
current
produc:on
of
Puccini’s
1903
classic,
Madama
BuWerfly.
The
opera
is
performed
outdoors,
on
a
sprawling
man-­‐made
pleasure
garden.

16. Part
of
the
Handa
Opera
on
the
Harbor
series,
the
performance
is
infused
with
Japanese
culture
and
features
fireworks
with
every
performance,
two
cars,
and
sun
and
moon
the
rise
and
fall
though
out.

17. The
iconic
Opera
House
is
also
part
of
the
set,
sing
across
the
water,
constantly
in
the
eye-­‐line.

18. The
performance,
running
currently,
has
been
receiving
favorable
reviews
and
con:nues
the
Sydney
Opera
House’s
tradi:on
of
excellence.

20. It
is
not
an
overstatement
to
say
that
the
Sydney
Opera
House
is
one
of,
it
not
the,
most
iconic
buildings
of
the
20th
century.

21. Its
formidable,
pala:al
design
inspires
onlookers
with
wonder
and
crea:vity.

22. When
Sydney
hosted
the
summer
Olympics
in
2000,
the
Opera
House
was
in
almost
every
aerial
shot
of
the
city.

23. The
Sydney
Opera
House
is
a
fundamental
site
in
the
set
of
images
we
collec:vely
associate
with
Australia.

24. Without
doubt,
the
white
shells
of
the
facility
will
con:nue
to
inspire
the
masses.

25. In
2003,
Utzon
received
the
highest
honor
in
architecture,
the
Pritzker
Prize.

26. Of
the
building,
the
Jury
Cita:on
said:

27. There
is
no
doubt
that
the
Sydney
Opera
House
is
his
masterpiece.

28. It
is
one
of
the
great
iconic
buildings
of
the
20th
century,
an
image
of
great
beauty
that
has
become
known
throughout
the
world
–
a
symbol
for
not
only
a
city,
but
a
whole
country
and
con:nent.

29. The
Sydney
Opera
House