Sydney Opera House

This is the first in a series of posts about some of Australia's major tourist attractions.
 
Sydney Opera House – Not only is the Sydney Opera House a world-class performing venue, it is also an architectural icon for Australia’s largest city. But the design that we see today almost didn’t happen. 

Chief architect Jorn Utzon’s design was one of more than 200 entries from around the world submitted into a 1956 international competition to design the opera house. His design was rejected by three of the four design judges. While reviewing the rejected designs, Eero Saarinen, the fourth judge who had arrived after the reviews began, saw Utzon’s design and declared it to be outstanding.

Saarinen, a Finnish American architect, had been chosen for the panel because of his ability to see graceful beauty in design. He was a designer of international acclaim. One of his most outstanding designs in the United States is the main terminal at the Washington Dulles International Airport.

The Sydney Opera House has seven performing venues. Concert Hall, the largest, seats 2,679 patrons and is home to the 10,154 pipe Grand Organ, one of the world’s largest mechanical organs. The most intimate venue, the Utzon Room, is named after Jorn Utzon, the Opera House’s chief architect, and seats up to 210 patrons. The opera house has a total of 1,000 rooms. It is situated in the stunning natural setting of Sydney Harbour.

Paul Robeson was the first person to perform at the Sydney Opera House in 1960. He sang Ol’ Man River to construction workers as they ate lunch.

In reflecting on the Sydney Opera House, American architect, Louis Kahn said “The sun did not know how beautiful its light was until it was reflected off this building.

During my visit to the Sydney Opera House, I will see the Australian Ballet’s performance of La Sylphide, a romantic story about the insatiable human desire to find true love. It is one of the world's oldest surviving romantic ballets.