Opera House in Sydney - the symbol of Australia

Green continent to the whole world is famous not only for kangaroos, koalas, warm ocean and bronze gods of surfing. There are unique facilities here. At Cape Bennelong, like a fantastic sailboat, there is a huge mass of concrete and glass. This is the world- famous opera house. In Sydney every day you can see a lot of tourists. And be sure that one half of them have already seen a unique construction, and the other one will certainly visit it in the near future.

New miracle

If Moscow learns foreigners easily through the church of St. Basil the Blessed, Red Square, the Mausoleum, then the bizarre opera house undoubtedly resurrects Sydney in our imagination. Photo of this attraction can be seen on any souvenirs from Australia. Towering over the harbor, snow-white bulk became one of the masterpieces of world architecture. The building has not only a flashy exterior, but also a curious history.

Sydney opera in figures

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 meters. Weight, according to the calculations of engineers, is 161,000 tons, and the area is equal to 2.2 hectares. On the slopes of the roofs about 1 million tiles. In addition to the two largest halls, there are more than 900 rooms. At the same time, approximately 10,000 spectators can be accommodated in the theater. In the year, the opera house in Sydney is visited by 4 million people.

A bit of history

Australia has never been the center of musical culture. By the beginning of the 20th century, there was a symphony orchestra on the mainland, but he did not have his own premises. Only when the post of the main director was received by Eugene Gusens, they started talking about it aloud. However, military and post-war time did not have the beginning of large-scale projects. Only by the middle of the twentieth century, in 1955, the government issued a building permit. But the funds from the budget still did not allocate. The search for investors began in 1954 and did not stop throughout the construction. In the competition for the best design work presented 233 architects. Already at this stage it became clear where a new musical theater will be erected. In Sydney, of course.

Most of the applications were rejected by the jury, but one of the members of the commission - Eero Saarinen - actively spoke for some unsuccessful challenger. He was a native of Denmark - Jorn Utzon. The project was allocated 4 years, the budget was $ 7 million. Despite plans, by the end of the 60s the opera house in Sydney was still under construction. The architect was accused that he does not fit into the budget and is not able to translate the 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 four years required for construction, the project required 14, and instead of 7 million, the budget was 102. However, the building was built on conscience. Even after 40 years of repair to him until now was not required.

Architectural style of theater

In the postwar period, the architecture was dominated by the so-called international style, the favorite forms of which are gray concrete boxes of a purely utilitarian purpose. This fashion was also cast by Australia. The Opera House in Sydney became a happy exception. It was in the 1950s that the world was tired of the monotony and began to acquire a new style - structural expressionism. His great devotee was Eero Saarinen, thanks to which 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. Design for that time was innovative, but in the era of searching for fresh forms came at an opportune time.

According to the government's demand, the premises should have two halls. One was for opera, ballet and symphony concerts, the second for chamber music and dramatic productions. The Opera House in Sydney was designed by the architect from two buildings, and not from the same number of rooms. It is noteworthy that in fact he is devoid of walls. On a single base is a structure of many roofs, having the shape of a sail. They are covered with white self-cleaning tiles. During festivals and holidays on the vaults of the opera, grandiose light shows are held.

What is inside?

Under the two largest arches are concert and opera zones. They are very large, have their own names. "Concert Hall" is the largest. It can accommodate almost 2700 spectators. The second in area 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 a pair of "Curtain of the Moon", located in the "Drama Hall". As the name implies, it is intended for dramatic productions. Film shows are held in the Playhouse. Sometimes he serves as a lecturer. "Hall Studio" is the newest of all. Here you can join the modern theatrical art.

In finishing the premises, wood, plywood and pink turin granite were used. Some fragments of interiors cause associations with the ship deck, continuing the theme of the giant ship.

Interesting Facts

Some say that the opera house in Sydney is a fantastic sailboat, others see a system of grottos, and others - pearl shells. According to one version, Utzon in an interview confessed that the creation of the project was inspired by a carefully peeled orange peel. There is a bike that Eero Saarinen chose the project after being drunk. Tired of the endless series of applications, the chairman of the commission simply took out at random several sheets from a common bale. It seems that the legend appeared not without the participation of Utzon's envious persons.

Beautiful vaulted ceilings violated the acoustics in the building. Of course, this was unacceptable for the opera house. To solve the problem, internal ceilings were designed, which reflect sound according to all the rules of theatrical construction.

It's sad, but Utzon was not destined to see his offspring completed. After his removal from the building, he left Australia to never return here again. Even after the 2003 prestigious Pritzker Prize award ceremony, he did not come to Sydney to take a look at the theater built. A year after the UNESCO organization consolidated the status of the World Heritage site behind the building of the opera , the architect died.