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Sydney Opera House

Bennelong Point, Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW Australia
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/

Status:
built
Construction Dates
  Began1959
  Finished1973
Floor Count4
Building Uses
 - theatre
Structural Types
 - lowrise

 Heights ValueSource / Comments 
Roof221 ft
Top floor82 ftUnconfirmed
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Description
• Architect Designer: Jorn Utzon.

• Architects: E. H. Farmer, Peter Hall, David Littlemore, Lionel Todd.
• Structural Engineer: Ove Nyquist Arup, Ove Arup & Partners.
• Contractor: M R Hornibrook Pty Ltd.
• Stage Engineer: Waagner-Biro Bühnentechnik AG.
• Others: Lighting Design Partnership, M.R. Hornibrook Ltd., Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty. Ltd. ___________________________________________________________

• The Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. It is one of the world's most distinctive 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts centres in the world as well as city's most recognized structure.

• On January 29, 1957 architect was declared the winner of the design competition with 233 worldwide entries.

• Construction began: March 1959.
• Opened by Queen Elizabeth II: October 20, 1973.
• 6225 m² of glass.
• 645 kilometres of electric cable.
• Area: 1.8 hectares.
• The roof: 2,914 pre-cast segments.
• Roof Weight: in total some 26,700 tonnes.
• 183 metres (605 ft) long and 120 metres (388 ft) wide.
• Theaters & Capacity:
- The Concert Hall: with 2,679 seats, is the home of the Sydney Symphony, and used by a large number of other concert presenters. Inside Sydney Opera House has the Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world, with over 10,000 pipes.
- The Opera Theatre: a proscenium theatre with 1,507 seats, is the Sydney home of Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet.
- The Drama Theatre: a proscenium theatre with 544 seats, is used by the Sydney Theatre Company and other dance and theatrical presenters.
- The Playhouse: an end-stage theatre with 398 seats.
- The Studio: a flexible space, with a maximum capacity of 400 people, depending on configuration.
- The Utzon Room: a small multi-purpose venue, seating up to 210. It is the only interior space to have been designed by Utzon, having been renovated in 2004 under his direction.
- The Forecourt: a flexible open-air venue with a wide range of configuration options, including utilising the Monumental Steps as audience seating, used for a range of community events, Live Sites, and special-occasion performances.

• The tip of the tallest shell reaches to the half the height of the nearby Harbour Bridge of 134m.

• The site was originally Bennelong Point tram depot which opened in 1902. During the 1950s Sydney's trams were gradually phased out in favour of buses. It was demolished in 1958 to make way for this building.

• The building had huge cost overruns.

• The building is faced with ceramic tile.

• The Sydney Opera House was put on the State Heritage Register on December 3, 2003.

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Structurae Entry


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