Sydney Opera House construction pics..

[Delta]

Part 1: (for diagrams & construction pics see Part 2 of this thread) B)

An abridged/brief history of this famous world icon to begin with...

Initially more than 233 different design entries were submitted from all over the world.

The winner of the competition, announced in January 1957, was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon (born in 1918). It was originally envisaged that it would take four years to build the Opera House.

Unfortunately there was a change of State Government (New South Wales of which Sydney is the capital city of - not the Federal capital which is Canberra) in 1966 and changed Jorn Utzon's original concept for the design. With disgust and frustration, Mt Utzon left the project never to return to Australia.

Construction of the building commenced in March 1959 and proceeded in slow stages over the next fourteen years and was finally opened in 1973. The building was completely paid for by July 1975 mainly due to State lotteries held throughout the 1960s. This was mainly due to construction cost blowouts.

Next year i.e. 2005 due to so many perfomance commitments, the Opera House will close in sections to try to at least create the interior that the original architect envisioned. His son and daughter as Mr Utzon's go-betweens, visit Sydney often to begin the preliminaries to oversee the project.

[Delta]

The original more flowing design that Jorn Utzon envisioned:

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...and how later the sails were "cut" from a sphere for the end design:

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Construction pics from the beginnings:

Circa early 1950s - the tram shed @ Bennolong Point soon to be demolished for the beginning of the construction of The Sydney Opera House:

Crica 1963:

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Construction workers:

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Scaffolding and the interior of one of the many internal sails:

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More saffolding and other construction materials on a couple of the sails:

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Still a while to go before completion:

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Nearing completion in 1972:

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Opening Day at the Sydney Opera House, October 20th, 1973:

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[Delta]

...and the finished "product" @ present in 2004...

The maximum height of The Opera House reaches 213ft/65m above ground & 224ft/67.4m above sea level.

The white sails comprise 1,057,000 Swedish tiles interlocking creating chevron shapes as visible -

Below pics courtesy of F. Amuso:

[wolfdawg54]

That is an amazing piece of architecture!

[monsoon]

[PghUSA]

Thanks so much for shedding light on that wonderful building.

Quick question the interior is it one grand theater or a few different concert halls, what would be very cool to see is the view looking inside to the outdoors maybe a night and a day shot, I have always wondered what that looks like to be in the Sydney Opera House and look out through those beautiful windows

[Delta]

PghUSA,

It consists of 3 buildings in all. The largest containing The Concert Hall and a small theatre which is mainly used for experimental works. The 2nd building contains The Drama Theatre for mostly more popular plays and other performances. The smallest building is the Bennelong Restaurant.

Model and overhead plan of the 3 seperate buildings:

Some of the views from within (as requested)...

To the sky:

Looking next door to the middle-sized structure that contains The Drama Theatre:

The view back to Sydney's CBD skyline from the main entrance of the largest of the 3 buildings:

The Bennelong Restaurant (and toddler on steps lol):

[monsoon]

[PghUSA]

Beautiful!

Thanks for answering my question and providing interior views!

That really is the jewel of Oceana!

[DavePaulk]

Wow, you've gathered quite a collection of photos. Well done.

[M. Brown]

Awesome

[Delta]

2 more O.H. construction pics I found Circa 1967.

Seems there are about 6 or 7 cranes on site @ this point in its construction.

[Cotuit]

15 years?! Boston and Sydney should be sister cities.

[Allan]

This is a great thread...lots of interesting pics.

[Delta]

Thanks guys.

[Delta]

Son of architect Joern Utzon - Jan Utzon

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Opera House opens its doors and finally gets a water view

By Valerie Lawson

February 10, 2004

The big house renovation at Bennelong Point moved a step closer yesterday with the Premier, Bob Carr, announcing the first major structural change to the Sydney Opera House exterior since its opening in 1973.

The western foyers will be opened to the harbour by a new glassed facade, and a $6 million loggia, or colonnade.

Designed by Sydney Opera House architect Joern Utzon, the 45-metre-long construction will be built along the western side of the building, extending five metres onto the broadwalk.

The Opera House's chief executive, Norman Gillespie, yesterday described that part of the broadwalk as "dead space".

From the loggia, patrons will be able to enter the Opera House through a new facade to the western foyers. Half of the facade will be glass.

The three new doors and six large windows will provide what every Sydney home renovator wants - extensive views of the harbour.

The linked foyers of the Playhouse, The Studio and the Drama Theatre are currently a windowless tube.

Mr Utzon, 85, who has never returned to Australia to see the house he designed, has been working on the refurbishment plans with his son, architect Jan Utzon, and Sydney architect Richard Johnson.

Mr Utzon jnr described the new loggia as having "straight lines, very geometrical and defined, in accordance with the base construction. We don't punch holes in the building where we like".

The "main character" of the entire building would remain "its heavy base and billowing sails", he said.

The changes to the western facade will start in late July and take a year to complete.

The cost of the loggia, renovated western foyers and the refurbished Reception Hall on the eastern side of the building, which was announced last September and is expected to be completed mid-year, are covered by the Government's $69.3 million grant to the Opera House in 2002.

Ambitious and costly plans to lower the floor of the Opera Theatre to improve the acoustics are not covered by that grant.

But Mr Carr said yesterday the Opera House Trust was entitled to look at ways of funding those costs "off budget".

Mr Gillespie confirmed Herald reports that the trust was considering issuing bonds to fund the lowering of the floor.

[KCghettoboi]

KC is getting our own opera house, construction is set for August 2005. I think the designers copied of of the Sydney Oper House a little.

Here it is: A view from the front

A night view of the south side,and entrance

This is a lobby image, which looks almost the same as the "Sydney Opera House" lobby.....this will work into the skyline...