A Danish architect, an Australian icon: the history of the Sydney Opera House
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House. Anthony Burke, Professor of Architecture at UTS, looks back at the construction of the iconic building and the story of the man who designed it.
The 40th Anniversary of the Sydney Opera House is an opportunity to explore a new story for Australia's most recognisable icon.
It is a story necessarily of its increasing entanglement with the city of Sydney, its evolution in response to changing forms of culture, and the complex relationship to Danish and Australian cultures of design.
The project of the Sydney Opera House began in earnest in 1954 when NSW state premier Joe Cahill brought together a committee to begin work on procuring "an edifice that will be a credit to the state not only today but also for hundreds of years."
An international design competition was launched, with the brief calling for "the best opera house that can be built."
The competition attracted 233 entries from around the globe.
Under the influence of one of the judges, Eero Saarinen, the jury were emboldened, some might say bullied, into reaching for an ambitious "concept of an opera house which is capable of becoming one of the great buildings of the world".
They selected 38-year-old Danish Architect Jørn Utzon and his scheme number 218 as the winner.
In the words of the jury's report: "Because of its very originality, [Utzon's scheme] is clearly a controversial design. We are however, absolutely convinced of its merits."
In August 1958 the construction process began with the demolition of the Fort Macquarie Tram sheds, which stood on Bennelong point.
Controversy of construction
Utzon famously began work under the consideration that it would take 18 months to develop the design documents for the project, which would ultimately be completed 15 years later.
But by the time the building was opened on October 20, 1973, the fervour of the project had taken several turns which marred the otherwise spectacular design and technical achievements of the project: the unexpected death of Cahill, a change in state government, concerns about time delays and the political football of the budget, all amplified by the constant savage media swirl around the project.
By 1966, disputes had erupted between Utzon and the state government (the client) over progress, leading ultimately to Utzon's public and difficult resignation under enormous pressure.
Utzon's popular and professional support in Sydney and internationally was passionate. Rallies in support of Utzon's return to the project saw over 1,000 people marching on Parliament house on one occasion.
However a state government keen to show progress moved quickly to appoint a panel lead by Peter Hall. Hall's most clear contribution was coming up with the solution to the large glass walls on the Northern (Kirribilli) façade.
It wasn't long after Utzon's departure in 1966, and possibly as a consequence of it, that another major decision was made that would haunt the project.
At the request of the ABC, the use of the two main halls were changed, to make the main hall, originally intended for Opera, into a symphony concert hall of 2,800 seats, and the conversion of the smaller venue from the originally intended drama theatre to the primary opera venue.
This compromise in the middle of construction added complexity to the project, as installation of the last (2,194th) precast shell unit of the famous sails had already been completed. The change forever plagued opera performances in the smaller space, which remains too cramped for the staging of many opera productions.
Utzon after the Opera House
After leaving the difficult and very public experience of the Opera House project, Utzon amazingly got back to new work and continued to apply his approach to design across a small but remarkable portfolio that is often ignored.
Three projects that stand out include his own house, Can Lis, in Mallorca in 1966, a family retreat originally intended as a holiday house in Australia, the Bagsværd Church, just outside Copenhagen, designed in 1968 and completed in 1976, and the Kuwait National Assembly Building, completed in 1982, all of which demonstrate his organic approach to design, and a highly attuned sensitivity to culture and place that are the hallmark of Utzon's approach.
Jørn Utzon never returned to Australian although many attempts at reconciliation were made from all parties.
In 2004 however, he accepted an invitation to collaborate on the redesign of the interiors of much of the building, resulting in the dedication of the Utzon room, generously marking the beginnings of a reconciliation with the project that was so central to his life.
On Jørn Utzon's death at age 90 in 2008, Frank Gehry, who was a juror for the 2003 Pritzker Prize won by Utzon, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times saying:
"Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, far ahead of available technology, and he persevered through extraordinarily malicious publicity and negative criticism to build a building that changed the image of an entire country."
An evolving icon
The Opera House continues to evolve to meet the demands of contemporary audiences and performance.
The last completed major work on the Opera House was the renovation and extension of the western foyer areas and the opening up of a drama theatre, playhouse and studio theatre under the main concert hall space.
This elegant extension by Richard Johnson of architecture firm JPW was completed with close attention to Utzon's original approach to design, and has added enormously to the capacity of the Opera House to host a broad range of performance types and scales.
Currently the Opera House is undergoing a major upgrade of loading areas, back of house facilities and mechanical systems lead by architect Scott Carver which most of us will never see, but which is important work and long overdue.
In 2007, the Sydney Opera House received a UNESCO World Heritage listing making it the only modern addition to this prestigious list alongside structures such as the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China.
The house remains one of the busiest performance venues in the world, hosting over 1,500 events a year, and receiving 8.2 million visitors annually.
It is important to recognise that the Sydney Opera House is still young, and as such it has only just begun to gather around it the stories that will colour its history.
As each generation finds unique ways to make and remake the Sydney Opera House their own, we should imagine a long history of new lessons and new beginnings for this remarkable building.
That we are a part of that continuing conversation as a city is a privilege and a responsibility we all enjoy.
The 12 Danish and Australian architects and designers that have come together for the Architecture and Design Symposium event as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, represent the very best of two cultures of design that share so much.
The symposium is a public event, and will extend the conversation of the future of the Sydney Opera House through exploring changes in contemporary architectural approaches to culture and the city.
Anthony Burke is a Professor of Architecture at UTS and curator of the Sydney Opera House 40th Anniversary Architecture and Design Symposium, Architecture Makes the City.