Entries about sydney opera house

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney.

Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon, the facility formally opened on 20 October 1973 after Utzon's won an international design competition in 1957.

The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.

The project was estimated to take 3 years to build and cost $7million. It actually took 16 years and $102million!

Inside you notice it is like a building inside the shell

The lift was a little unusual as it had no ceiling - great for those action films where they feel the need to climb up into the lift shaft!

Though its name suggests a single venue, the project comprises multiple performance venues which together are among the busiest performing arts centres in the world — hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. The venues produce and present a wide range of in-house productions and accommodate numerous performing arts companies, including four key resident companies: Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than seven million people visit the site each year, with 300,000 people participating annually in a guided tour of the facility.

Identified as one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world, the facility is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, under the auspices of the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts. The Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007.

The tour led us through the internal workings of the Opera House

to the Concert Hall

which can seat up to 2,675 people. The Theatre is made from white birch ply and brush wood and designed to deaden any sound in 2 seconds for perfect acoustics. The circular acrylic orbs hanging form the ceiling are all to help with the acoustics.

The organ is the biggest in the world with 1,500 pipes up to 8m deep. It took 10 years to build and 2 years to tune.

The front bar has spectacular views across the harbour to the bridge

The tour then took us through the central corridor

into the Opera Theatre, which is in the second of the two 'shells' of the Opera House.

There are 20 technicians on hand for each performance, plus the staff provided by the presenting company.

The Orchester pit can seat up to 50 musicians.

The theatre can seat up to 1,500 people and present Ballet twice a year at Christmas and Easter and Opera throughout the res tof the year.

One thing I thought was lovely at the bar

is the chance to buy some signed ballet shoes from previous productions


The roof of the Opera house is made up of 1million and 56 ceramic tiles from Sweden!

Views of the Opra House with the CBD