The Sydney Opera House is not just the symbol of Sydney but it’s also Australia's most iconic building and it often represents the country as the most famous landmark we have.
It was inaugurated in 1973 by Elizabeth II, the Queen of England, and it was built following a project by Danish architect Jorn Utzon who, until then, was unknown.
Every year, this opera house hosts more than three thousand different events including concerts, ballets, performances, theatre performances, comedies and much more.
I have read that the building has several rooms dedicated to workshops and theatrical activities.
The Concert Hall is the most famous space inside this building and it can sit up to 2700 spectators.
It is, without any doubts, one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world (although I haven’t visited it inside just yet) and in 2007 it has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
But where is it exactly?
The Sydney Opera House is located on a small peninsula right in the middle of Sydney Bay.
More precisely, it is located north of the Royal Botanical Garden and very close to the Circular Quay train station.
At times, especially at dawn or at dusk, the Opera House seems to naturally emerge from the bottom of the Sydney peninsula, where the Sydney Harbour Bridge marks the doors to the city.
The building is well integrated into the landscape and the Bay is one of the most picturesque places on the sea in the world.
Apparently, the charm of the Opera House is also due to its controversial history:
its external structure with its white shells according to some people recalls the sails of a ship, but it seems that the architect had in mind a peeled orange when he designed it and the roof shells would represent the wedges of an orange.
These regular segments of a perfect sphere have been called a masterpiece of modern architecture and the theater, unlike most of the buildings of the time, does not have a main side but it was rather built to be architecturally pleasing and balanced from every perspective and every angle of the Bay.
It is often considered by critics to be the perfect fusion of old and modern influences that have given the building a remarkable sculptural elegance, making it one of the buildings symbolizing the architecture of the 20th century and making it so unique and easily recognizable.
The entire building rests on a large granite platform and its roof shells are covered with white tiles that form a kind of vault with very high windows.
The Concert Hall is the main hall and its peculiarity is the wooden interior and the shape inspired by a gothic cathedral to allow the sound to be amplified in a natural way.
Of course, since I haven’t visited it yet, I only read that the inside houses one of the oldest and largest organs in the world and its other rooms were designed each with its own peculiarities and according to the final purpose: there are rooms suitable for theatrical performances, recording studios and rooms designed for parties.
A multi-purpose room, the Playhouse, is used for various types of events: film screenings, presentations and conferences.
The Studio instead is used for contemporary music shows, film screenings, cocktail parties, cabaret shows and circus performances.
The Utzon Room is a space suitable for parties, business functions and small productions of all kinds.
The whole complex is a tourist destination of considerable importance, also thanks to the presence of an amusement park and ample parking nearby.
It doesn’t seem huge from the outside but it’s very spacious and it can host several events at the same time!
By Alberto Ferrando ----------- PHOTO GALLERY below
