Gumbo was visiting the fabulous Sydney Opera House this week. Congratulations to George G and Roderick Simpson, who solved this week’s travel mystery.
These photographs capture only a small fraction of the immense architectural and cultural significance of the Sydney Opera House, officially part of the UNESCO World Heritage list (in 2007).
The building was based on designs by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who was selected in 1957 after a 2 year period where more than 230 entries were submitted from around the world (he later received the Pritzker award for the building). This was the first building incorporating computer-aided design to help with complex shapes and design execution of the precast structural elements. Construction started in 1958, with the building officially opened in 1973 (10 years and more than 1100% over budget).
The building covers 4.4 acres on the Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, measuring 600 feet long and 394 feet wide, and is created from precast concrete panels (shells), each part of a giant sphere that is 246 feet in radius, supports by concrete ribs. There are more than 580 concrete piers sunk up to 80 feet into the sea bed below. The “shells” are covered in glossy white and matte cream tiles (more than 1 million), made by a Swedish company, that are laid in a chevron pattern. Large glass curtain walls cover the foyers, while pink granite and white birch cover the rest of the interior.
The building actually houses several performance spaces, including the 2679 seat concert hall (which houses the 10000 pipe Grand Organ), a 1500 seat theatre, a 544 seat drama theatre, a 398 seat playhouse, and a 280 seat studio, along with several multipurpose rooms and outdoor, open-air venues around the monumental steps and forecourt. There are more than 1500 performances annually.
