Overview:

The Sydney Opera House is one of the world's most iconic structures and a major Australian landmark located on the picturesque harbour of Sydney, New South Wales. This magnificent building was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed in 1973. In July 2007, the Sydney Opera House was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a “masterpiece of human creative genius” and is a renowned cultural centre for the performing arts. It features five theatres, exhibition spaces, and a Concert Hall which holds 2,700 people and contains the world’s largest mechanical tracker action pipe organ. It hosts over 1,500 performances by leading artists from Australia and around the world every year, and is a stunning venue for a variety of events, conferences, cocktails, dinners and weddings. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Australia
Prominent Features:

1. An iconic landmark built in the 20th century, the Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. 2. The opera house has become a symbol of Sydney and is one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Australia. 3. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the startlingly modern opera house features a double-dome roof comprised of pre-cast concrete panels in the shape of shells, and a total area of 1.8 hectares. 4. Home to Opera Australia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Opera House boasts over 1,000 rooms spread over five levels. 5. Along with artistic performances, other activities available include guided tours, shopping, and dining. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Australia.

History:

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and completed in 1973 after a long gestation period of 16 years starting in 1957. The building was slated to cost $A7million, but eventually cost $A102 million in 1973. The project was controversial throughout its inception, and Utzon resigned in 1966, after a face-off with the New South Wales government regarding budget overruns and construction delays. Despite the budget overruns, the Sydney Opera House has since become an iconic landmark and a popular tourist destination. The history of the Sydney Opera House began almost four centuries ago in 17th century when British explorer Captain James Cook, working under the British Admiralty, sailed on the Endeavour into what later became Botany Bay. Cook recorded that he saw ‘several small round hills’, which later evolved into The Gap and Bennelong Point, the site of the Opera House today. In the 1950s, the premier of then New South Wales, Joseph Cahill, commissioned a design competition to find an appropriate spot for a world-class performing arts space in the shape of the iconic Sydney Opera House. On 29 January 1957, a then unknown Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, won the competition, and a few years later the foundation stone for the ‘Opera House Project’ was laid on 28 September 1959. Construction on the Opera House officially began on 2 March 1962, and the building was unveiled to the public on 20 October 1973. Utzon is said to have been inspired by the magnificent beast of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the design of the truncated conical shells of the main auditorium. Today, the Sydney Opera House remains an iconic landmark and a popular tourist destination for those visiting the city. Despite its initial financial woes and subsequent popularity, the building remains the subject of ongoing debate on the best use for the government-funded grandiose structure. Visit one of the famous monuments of Australia with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The iconic Sydney Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened in 1973. 2. The Sydney Opera House covers 1.8 hectares and contains more than 1,000 rooms and backstage areas. 3. There are 1,000 contracts under the roof of the Sydney Opera House with more than 40,000 tiles. 4. About 8.2 million visitors attend the Sydney Opera House each year. 5. It costs $102 million to build the Sydney Opera House. 6. The Opera House is home to four venues – the Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, Drama Theatre and Playhouse. 7.The Sydney Opera House has been featured in hundreds of films and television shows including Mission Impossible II, The Matrix, X-Men Origins and Super Mario Brothers. 8. The Sydney Opera House was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007. 9. The design of the Sydney Opera House reflects the sails of the boats that inhabit Sydney's harbor. 10. The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most recognizable buildings and an Australian icon. One of the historical monuments of Australia, it tells the story of a bygone era