User:OliviaB

=Humanities I/The Commons=

Midterm Research Project
Sydney Opera House

The original Sydney Opera House was considered to small for all the performances going on. The country of Australia was open to new ideas therefor allowing architects to send in there ideas in 1954. They received over 233 entries from people in 32 countries. The winner was announced in 1957 to a Danish architect by the name of Jorn Utzon. His design is an expressionist design that cost about $102 million to make and was finally completed in 1973. In order to build this opera house, it needed 588 concrete piers that sink up to 25 meters below sea level. The covering of the opera house is referred to as “shells” because of the color and that way that they are shaped. The outer cover appears to be a bright white but really it is all titles that are white and matte cream colored. There were some changes done to the original design, but then later that was changed. Like any other major project, it was late by ten years and was over the original cost by 14 times the amount. The Sydney Opera House now belongs to the World Heritage Site, that also includes Stonehenge. Thanks to this unique design it is now one of the recognizable performing art centers in the world. This building is considered public art not because of what takes place inside the building but what is on the outside. The design itself is considered a work of art and anyone who passes by is able to appreciate it.

http://www.wayfaring.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/800px-sydney_opera_house_sailsk.jpg

http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Australia/Sydney/Harbour/SydneyOperaHouseAndSpeedBoat.jpg

http://hornconcerto.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/sydney_opera_house_concert_hall.jpg

http://www.blather.net/abroad/australia/_MG_0585_sydney_opera_house_500.jpg