Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia). Opera House in Sydney - a symbol of Australia Theater in Australia Sydney name

Key facts:

DATE 1957-1973
STYLE Expressionist modern
MATERIALS Granite, concrete and glass
ARCHITECT Jorn Utson
The architect has never been to a completed theater

Yacht sails, bird wings, seashells - all this may come to mind when looking at the Sydney Opera House. It became a symbol of the city.

Glistening white sails rise into the sky, and the massive granite base appears to be anchored to a straight strip of land, washed on three sides by the waters of Sydney Harbour.

The amazing opera house came to the city after it was decided in the early 1950s that the city needed a proper performing arts center. In 1957, Danish architect Jorn Utson (born 1918) won an international design competition.

But the decision was controversial, because the construction involved unprecedented technical complexity - the engineers who worked on the project called it “a structure that can hardly be built.”

Controversy and crisis

Utson's project was unique. he broke a lot of rules. Therefore, new technologies were required for construction; they had yet to be developed. Construction began in 1959 and, unsurprisingly, came controversy and complications.

When the new government tried to use the growing costs and constant overlap in political games, Utson was forced to leave Australia in early 1966. For months, people thought the empty shells on the concrete podium would remain a giant, unfinished sculpture.

But in 1973, construction was finally completed; the interiors did not require much time. Opera theatre opened the same year, public support was strong, although Utson was not at the opening.

The building is made so that it can be viewed from any angle, even from above. In it, as in sculpture, you always see something elusive and new.

Three groups of interconnected shells hang over a massive base of granite slabs, where service spaces are located - rehearsal and dressing rooms, recording studios, workshops and administrative offices. There is also a drama theater and a small stage for performances.

The two main shells contain two main halls - a large concert hall, over which hangs a ceiling of circular segments, and an opera house hall, where opera and ballet are shown.

The third group of shells contains a restaurant. The height of the shells is up to 60 meters, they are supported by ribbed concrete beams, similar to fans, and the thickness of their concrete walls is 5 centimeters.

The sinks are covered with matte and glossy ceramic tiles. On the other hand, all the shells are covered with glass walls that look like glass waterfalls - from there you can enjoy stunning views of the entire area. From all the theater halls you can go to the common hall below. Both main concert halls can also be accessed from the outside via wide staircases.

The competition jury was right in choosing the project for the Sydney Opera House, although the acoustics there are complex, and the simple furnishings inside erase the impressions of the masterpiece. Today, the Sydney Opera House is called one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century, the eighth wonder of the world, and it is almost impossible to imagine Sydney without it.

JORN UTSON

Jorn Utson was born in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, in 1918. He studied as an architect in Copenhagen from 1937 to 1942, and then went to study in Sweden and the USA, and work with.

Utson developed an architectural style known as additive architecture. Utson created a lot at home, studied theory, but his name is forever associated with the Sydney Opera House (although difficulties with this project damaged his career and almost ruined the life of the architect).

He also built the National Assembly of Kuwait and became famous throughout the world as the creator of impressive modern buildings in which modernism is complemented by natural forms. Utson received many awards for his work.

The jury appreciated Utzon's initial drawings, but for practical reasons he replaced the original elliptical shell-shaped design with a design with uniform spherical fragments reminiscent of an orange peel. Due to numerous problems, Utzon left the project, and the work on the glazing and interior was completed by the architect Peter Hall. But Utson gained worldwide fame and was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2003. In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The tallest concrete panel sink is equivalent in height to a 22-story building. The exterior of the shell is covered in a chevron pattern of more than a million cream tiles interspersed with pink granite panels. The interior of the building is clad in Australian birch plywood.

Everyone knows that the Sydney Opera House is real architectural symbol city that catapulted architect Jorn Utzon (1918-2008) to fame outside his native Denmark. After the end of World War II, Utson traveled throughout Europe, the USA and Mexico, became acquainted with the works of Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloyd Wright, and examined the ancient Mayan pyramids. In 1957, he won the design competition for the Sydney Opera House, after which he moved to Australia. Construction work began in 1959, but he soon encountered problems with the roof's design and attempts by the new government to persuade him to use certain building material suppliers. In 1966, he left the project and returned to his homeland. He was not invited to the grand opening in 1973, but despite this, he was invited to redesign the reception hall, called the Utson Hall (2004). Later he participated in the restoration of other fragments of the structure.

Utson's departure caused a lot of rumors and hostile reviews, and Hall's appearance to complete the Project was met with hostility. Hall is the author of other administrative buildings, such as Goldstine College at the University of New South Wales (1964).

In 1960, during the construction of the Sydney Opera House, American singer and actor Paul Robeson performed the song Ol Man River at the very top of the scaffolding during a lunch break for construction workers.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most... famous buildings 20th century and by far the most popular architectural structure Australia in style. It is located on Sydney Harbour, close to the huge Harbor Bridge. The unusual silhouette of the Sydney Opera House resembles a row of sails soaring above the surface of the sea. Nowadays, smooth lines in architecture are quite common, but it was the Sydney Theater that became one of the first buildings on the planet with such a radical design. His distinguishing feature- a recognizable form that includes a number of identical “shells” or “shells”.

The history of the theater's creation is full of drama. It all started in 1955, when the state government of which Sydney is the capital announced an international architectural competition. From the very beginning, great hopes were placed on the construction - it was planned that the implementation of an ambitious project to create a new magnificent theater would serve as an impetus for the development of culture on the Australian continent. The competition attracted the attention of many famous architects around the world: the organizers received 233 applications from 28 countries. As a result, the government chose one of the most striking and unusual projects, the author of which was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon. An interesting designer and thinker in search of new means of expression, Utzon designed a building that seemed to “come from the world of fantasy,” as the architect himself said.

In 1957, Utzon arrived in Sydney, and two years later construction of the theater began. There were many unforeseen difficulties associated with the start of work. It turned out that Utzon's project was not sufficiently developed, the design as a whole turned out to be unstable, and the engineers could not find an acceptable solution to implement the bold idea.

Another failure is an error in the construction of the foundation. As a result, it was decided to destroy the original version and start all over again. Meanwhile, the architect attached paramount importance to the foundation: in his design there were no walls as such, the roof vaults rested directly on the plane of the foundation.

Initially, Utzon believed that his idea could be realized quite simply: make sinks from reinforcing mesh, and then cover them with tiles on top. But calculations showed that this method would not be suitable for a giant roof. Engineers tried different shapes - parabolic, ellipsoidal, but without success. Time passed, money melted, customer dissatisfaction grew. Utzon, in desperation, drew dozens of different options over and over again. Finally, one fine day, it dawned on him: his gaze accidentally stopped at orange peels in the form of the usual triangular segments. This was the very form that the designers had been looking for for so long! Roof vaults, which are parts of a sphere of constant curvature, have the necessary strength and stability.

After Utzon found a solution to the problem with the roof vaults, construction resumed, but the financial costs turned out to be more significant than originally planned. According to preliminary estimates, the construction of the building required 4 years. But it took 14 long years to build. The construction budget was exceeded by more than 14 times. Customers' dissatisfaction grew so much that at a certain point they removed Utzon from work. The brilliant architect left for Denmark, never to return to Sydney. He never saw his creation, despite the fact that over time everything fell into place, and his talent and contribution to the construction of the theater was recognized not only in Australia, but throughout the world. Interior Design Sydney Theater made by other architects, so between the external appearance of the building and its interior decoration you can feel the difference.

As a result, the roof segments, seemingly crashing into each other, were made of precast and monolithic reinforced concrete. The surface of the concrete “orange peels” was covered with a huge number of tiles made in Sweden. The tiles are coated with a matte glaze, allowing the roof of the Sydney Theater to be used today as a reflective screen for video art and the projection of vibrant images. The roof panels of the Sydney Opera House were built using special cranes ordered from France - the theater was one of the first buildings in Australia to be erected using cranes. And the highest “shell” of the roof corresponds to the height of a 22-story building.

Construction of the Sydney Opera House was officially completed in 1973. The theater was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, the grand opening was accompanied by fireworks and a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The first performance performed in the new theater was S. Prokofiev’s opera “War and Peace”.

Today the Sydney Opera House is Australia's largest cultural center. It hosts more than 3 thousand events annually, and has an annual audience of 2 million viewers. The theater program includes an opera called “The Eighth Miracle”, which tells about difficult history construction of the building.

About itself famous building Australia - Sydney Opera House, there are quite conflicting opinions. Some consider it a magnificent monument to a frozen melody. Others are confused by the amazing shape of the roof of this structure: for some it resembles huge shells, for others it resembles the sails of a Galleon blown by the wind, others associate them with the ears of angels listening to the singing, and there is also an opinion that the Sydney theater is very similar to a washed-up white whale.

In short, there are so many people, so many opinions, but no one doubts the fact that the Sydney Opera House is a man-made symbol of Australia.

This amazing building is located in Sydney, the largest city in Australia, in the Bennelong Point harbor (on the map it can be found at the following coordinates: 33° 51′ 24.51″ S, 151° 12′ 54.95″ E).

The Sydney Opera House gained worldwide fame primarily due to its roof, made in the shape of sails (shells) of different sizes located one behind the other, which make it unlike any other theater in the world. The facade of the opera turned out to be so interesting, unusual, and therefore recognizable that it is considered one of the most outstanding buildings of modern architecture, which has been included in the list for several years now world heritage UNESCO.

The creator of this unique building, Jorn Watson, is the only person in the world whose work was recognized by this organization during his lifetime (he died a year after this event, in 2008).

Description

The Opera House in Australia is, first of all, unusual in that, unlike other buildings of this type, made in the classical style, it is a striking example of expressionism, demonstrating a new look at architecture. The Sydney Opera House is surrounded by water on three sides and is built on stilts.

The area of the theater is huge and amounts to 22 thousand m2: its length is 185 m, width is 120 m, and in the building itself there is great amount premises, including several theater halls, many small studios and theater platforms, as well as restaurants, bars and shops, where anyone can buy a souvenir of visiting the theater.

The main premises are four halls:

The concert hall is the largest room of the theater, capable of accommodating 2,679 spectators. It is here that the largest organ in the world is installed: it consists of 10 thousand pipes;
Opera House - this hall seats 1,507 spectators, and on its stage you can see not only opera, but also ballet;
Drama Theater – designed for 544 people;
The Small Dramatic Stage seats 398 people and is considered the most comfortable room in the opera.

Sail roof

The most remarkable part of the building, thanks to which the Sydney Opera House has become one of the most interesting theaters in the world, is its roof, made in the form of shells or sails located one after another. The roof, whose height is 67 m and diameter is 150 m, consists of more than 2 thousand sections and weighs about 30 tons.

The structure is secured using metal cables, the total length of which is 350 km. The two main sinks are located above the opera's two largest rooms. Other sails are located above the smaller rooms, and below the smallest one is one of the restaurants.

The top of the sinks is mechanically covered with white polished and cream matte tiles, resulting in a completely smooth surface - an effect that would hardly be achieved by laying it by hand. Interesting fact: despite the fact that from a distance it may seem as if the roof is painted white, depending on the lighting, it constantly changes its shade.

This roof structure looks very beautiful and original, but during construction, due to the uneven height of the roof, problems with acoustics arose inside the building, and in order to solve the problem, a sound-reflecting ceiling had to be made separately. For this purpose, special gutters were made that can perform both practical and aesthetic functions: reflecting sound and drawing attention to the arches located above the front of the stage (the largest gutter is about 42 meters long).

Author of the idea

Interesting fact: building an opera house in Sydney was the idea of the British Sir Eugene Goossens, who arrived in Australia as a conductor to record a concert on the radio. One can only imagine his surprise when he discovered that there was no opera house in Sydney.

The city also lacked large audience facilities where Sydneysiders could come to listen to music.

Therefore, he made the decision to do everything to build a theater in which spectators would have the opportunity to get acquainted with both classical and latest musical works. He immediately began searching for a suitable place for construction - it turned out to be the rocky cape of Bennelong Point, near which there was an embankment, which was a key node, since local residents They transferred from ferries to trains or buses.

Having found a suitable location (there was a tram depot here at that time, which was later demolished), Goossens carried out a corresponding campaign and, infecting many influential people in Sydney with his idea, ensured that the government allowed the construction of the Opera House. The authorities immediately announced an international competition for the best project. And then things stalled: Goossens made enemies. After one of his international trips, customs officers discovered the “Black Mass” items, he was fined, fired from his job - and he was forced to leave Australia, despite all assurances that the things did not belong to him.

Contest

More than two hundred works from all over the world were sent to the competition. One more important point The problem was that Goossens not only managed to select a qualified commission, but also gave a description of the competition project.

The project was to include two halls - one for larger productions, the second for small productions. The building had to have rooms where rehearsals could be held, props could be stored, and there would also be space for restaurants.

The task was complicated by the fact that the area on which it was planned to build the structure had rather limited dimensions, since it was surrounded on three sides by water. Therefore, most of the projects were rejected for one simple reason: they looked too bulky, and the facade of the building was depressing.

And only one work attracted the attention of the jury members, forcing them to return to the project over and over again: in the sketch, the theaters were placed close to each other, the problem of bulkiness was eliminated thanks to the emphasis on the white roof in the form of sails, and the author suggested storing the scenery and theatrical props in special recesses, thus solving the problem of the wings.

The author of the work turned out to be the Dane Jorn Watson (this architect had many similar original projects, but this one was one of the few that was implemented). Despite the fact that the project he presented was a sketch, the cost of the work was estimated at 7 million Australian dollars. Dollars, which was an acceptable price. Money for the start of construction was raised through a lottery.

Construction works

While the project was approved, it was obvious that there was still a lot of work to be done on it (some issues have not been resolved to this day). The main problem was how to make a non-standard shaped roof, especially since there is no such experience in the world this moment didn't exist.

Watson solved this problem by giving each sink the shape of a triangle, assembling it from smaller curved triangles, covered with tiles mechanically during manufacture. After this, the sails were installed on concrete ribs (frame ribs), located in a circle - this made it possible for the roof to get a finished and harmonious look.

This form gave rise to problems with the acoustics of the hall, which, although the architect was later able to solve, entailed considerable financial expenses (for example, since the new vault turned out to be much heavier than the previous one, it was necessary to blow up the already made foundation and begin to build a stronger and more durable one).

Instead of the estimated 7 million Australian. dollars construction cost 102 million. Construction proceeded at a very slow pace, which could not help but attract the attention of local deputies and opponents of the architect.

And after the Labor party, which supported construction, lost the support of the population and the opposition came to power, the money raised from the lottery was first frozen (fortunately, there was an excuse), and then completely used for the construction of roads and hospitals, forcing Watson in 1966 quit your job and leave Sydney forever.

After this, Hall was appointed chief architect, who, although he managed to complete the construction in 1973, according to many experts, the work he carried out significantly spoiled the appearance of the building, and the interior turned out to be unremarkable ( interesting fact, during the preparation of the Olympics in Australia in 2000, the Australians invited Watson to return and finish work on the opera, agreeing to do whatever he said, but he refused).

This is how it turned out that the Sydney Opera House, which is one of the most magnificent buildings of our time, which is mentioned along with the Taj Mahal and other wonders of the world, although it looks magnificent on the outside, is no different inside. True, this did not prevent the building from taking part in the competition for the title of one of the seven wonders of the world and, although it did not become a winner, it was among the main contenders.

- was created in 1973, the British director Eugene Goossens shared the idea. He arrived in Australia as a conductor, but was shocked to learn that there was no opera house in Australia. This was the beginning of the building, or rather the beginning of the dream of building an opera house. He searched areas where it was possible to build an opera house, and also convinced the deputies of this country about the importance of this building, after which it was decided to start a competition for the best project of an opera house. Unfortunately, however, Eugene Goosens' enemies set him up and he had to leave Australia without seeing the fruits of his dreams.

The competition continued and the winner of the best project was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon. Jorn Utzon became an innovator in the history of construction, since before that time there were no such buildings on earth. On the one hand, it was promising, but on the other hand, it was a risky project, which was to be built over the sea, in the Bennelong Point area there had previously been a tram depot. This project amazed the whole world and never ceases to amaze.

Construction began in 1959, the construction was planned to take 4 years, but everything did not go as smoothly as we would like and lasted for 14 years. The problem was mainly due to the roof (superstructure). Many call them sails, some fins or shells. The roof of the opera house consists of 2194 previously manufactured sections. The entire roof is covered with about one million matte or cream colors. In principle, the roof came out very smoothly, but the internal acoustics of the hall suffered; later this problem was solved at considerable expense, since it was necessary to demolish the current foundation and pour a new, strong foundation. Some details also needed to be redone.

Unfortunately, expenses increased, and construction time slowed down, so that even the money that was intended for construction was spent on other objects. Because of this, Utzon had to leave Sydney, as the estimated amount was seven million Australian dollars, but in fact it took about one hundred million dollars. A few years later, the Australians again asked Utzon to begin construction, but he categorically refused this idea. After which the new architect Hall completed the operatic miracle. The exact date of the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973 with thunderous applause from numerous people and fireworks. Still, in 2003, Jorn Utzon, the chief architect of the opera house, received an award. The dramatic and difficult construction lived up to all these years of anticipation, it became a symbol of the Australian city. On June 28, 2007, the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites was expanded, and the beautiful Sydney Theater was added to this list.

The Sydney Opera House became a center of tourist accumulation, hotels, cafes, restaurants and the like began to be built. And if you look at the Opera House at night from the Harbor Bridge, it was an indescribable delight for tourists.

When entering the Sydney Opera House, which consists of quite a few halls, tourists first enter the concert hall.

Concert hall with the largest audience in this theater. This hall houses the largest organ, which has 10 thousand organ pipes. One of the highest quality musical instruments on earth.

The hall seats 2,679 spectators. The opera hall accommodates 1,507 spectators, as well as 70 musicians on stage. The Drama Hall seats only 544 spectators.

Also the Play House hall, which seats 398 spectators. And the very last hall, which was inaugurated relatively recently in 1999, was called “Studio”. However, despite the fact that it opened last, it accommodates only 364 spectators.

In the opera house, namely in each hall, different artistic scenes were held, as well as opera, ballet, drama, dance scenes, miniature theater plays, as well as plays in the spirit of avant-garde.

Sydney Opera House has many advantages, namely:

unusualness of the project;
location;
an ideal place for art lovers;

Many tourists come here to see the interesting architecture, as well as to watch various art scenes.

The Sydney Opera House is a symbol of large city Australia

(English: Sydney Opera House) - one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world, is a symbol of the largest city in Australia - Sydney. The sail-shaped roof makes this Musical Theatre unlike any other in the world.

Sydney Opera House recognized as one of the greatest structures in modern architecture and is business card cities and continents. Its opening took place on October 20, 1973 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

The Sydney Opera House is located in the harbor at Bennelong Point. This name comes from the name of a local Aboriginal and friend of the first governor of Australia. Previously, there was a fort on this site, and until 1958 there was a tram depot.

The architect of the opera house was the Danish architect Jorn Utzon, who received the Pritzker Prize in 2003 for his project.

Despite the ease of manufacturing and installation of parts for spherical shells, the construction of the building was delayed due to the interior decoration of the premises. According to the construction plan, the theater should have taken no more than four years and cost about 7 million Australian dollars, but the opera took 14 years to build and cost 102 million.

Hundreds of the world's best musicians perform at the Sydney Opera House every year. If you love music and are interested in playing musical instruments, then here you can find and buy audio equipment from the world's best manufacturers.

The Sydney Opera House is built in an expressionist style with innovative design elements. Its length is 185 m and its width is 120 m. The opera covers an area of 2.2 hectares. The weight of the building is approximately 161 thousand tons, it rests on 580 piles driven into the water to a depth of 25 m. The electricity consumed by the building is equivalent to a city with 25 thousand population.

The roof of the theater consists of 2194 sections, its height is 67 m, and its weight is about 27 tons. The entire structure is supported by cables 350 km long. The roof of the opera is made in the form of a series of shells, but it is usually called sails or shells, which is not correct from the point of view of architectural design. These sinks are made from triangular concrete panels that are attached to 32 precast ribs.

The roof of the building is covered with 1,056,006 azulejo tiles in white and matte cream colors. From a distance the roof appears pure white, but under different lighting conditions you can see different color schemes. Using the mechanical method of laying tiles, the roof surface turned out to be ideal, which was impossible to achieve manually.

The largest vaults form the roof Concert Hall and the Opera Theater. Other halls form smaller vaults. The interior of the building is made using pink granite, wood and plywood.