Sydney Opera House style. Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera theatre- outstanding architectural structure XX century It was nominated for the title of a new wonder of the world, and was among the finalists. Listed by UNESCO, this building is a popular tourist attraction in Australia.

The Sydney Opera House is located in the local harbor, on Cape Bennelong point. The building was built on 580 concrete piles driven into the bottom. Its length is 183 m, width - 118, and occupied area - more than 21.5 thousand m2. The maximum height of the building is 67 m.

Interesting Facts about the Sydney Opera House relate not only to the history of construction and architectural implementation (we will discuss them below). No other theater has a work about him in its repertoire. The opera “The Eighth Miracle” is the only precedent.

History of the Sydney Opera House

Sydney until the middle of the 20th century. did not have an opera house at all. Guest conductor of the local symphony orchestra Eugene Goosens considered this situation unacceptable. The Sydney authorities agreed with him, but did not have the funds for construction. In 1954, they launched a fundraiser that lasted two decades. During this period, approximately AUD 10,000,000 was collected. The initially declared cost of the construction of 7,000,000 AUD ultimately turned out to be 10,200,000 AUD actually spent.

According to the terms of the announced competition, the limited territory of Cape Bennelong was designated as the site for the construction of the theater. main hall The 3 thousand seats of the designed building were allocated for opera and ballet. The small hall for 1200 spectators was planned for chamber theater and musical performances. Among 233 competitors, the young Danish architect Jorn Utson won. According to his design, the building externally resembled a multi-sail ship on the surface of the water surrounding the cape.

The work, which began in 1959, lasted 14 years instead of the planned four, extending the construction date until 1973. The delay had both objective and subjective reasons. The first includes the authorities' requirement to add two additional halls. And the sail-shaped roof shells originally designed by Jörn Utson had acoustic disadvantages. It took the architect several years to find an alternative technical solution. The new vault turned out to be too heavy for the foundation made, and a new one had to be made.

Additional expenses and delays in construction strained Utson's relations with local authorities, and he left Sydney. In 1966, local architects continued construction. According to many experts, this had a negative impact on the interior of the building. The inside of the theater is significantly inferior to the stunning façade.

The new Sydney building actually opened on 28 September 1973 with Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace. The official ceremony took place on October 20 with the participation of the British monarch Elizabeth II, who is the formal head of Australia.

The architect of the Sydney Opera House was not present at the opening, and was not even mentioned. His name is not on the authors’ bronze plaque at the entrance either. True, in the same year the local Institute of Architects awarded Jorn Utson a gold medal. And in 2003 he received the Pritzker Prize for his project - highest award architects.

In 1999, Jörn Utson nevertheless designed the reconstruction of the Reception Hall, which was later renamed in his honor. The work was led by Jorn's son, architect Jan Utson. And Jorn himself did not return to Sydney after 1966. He died in 2008 without ever seeing his famous creation in person. The floodlights illuminating the Sydney Opera House were turned off for an hour in memory of the great architect.

Sydney Opera House by its architect and architect

Opera houses are usually built in classic style. In contrast, the Sydney Opera House is a shining example architectural style expressionism. Unique roof in the shape of sails different sizes. Surrounded on three sides by water, the building from a distance looks like a large multi-sail ship moored in Sydney Harbor. This is exactly how the architect saw the future theater. He said that he wanted to take viewers away from their usual routine into a world of fantasy where actors and musicians live.

The area allocated for construction was limited. The projects rejected by the competition jury had a common drawback - cumbersomeness. Jorn Utson solved this problem by shifting attention to the architectural dominant of the building - the roof. Its total diameter is 150 m. The roof frame consists of 2 thousand concrete sections and weighs 30 tons. The two largest sails crown both main halls, originally conceived. Under the smallest sail is the Bennelong restaurant. The entire structure is secured with metal cables with a total length of 350 km.

The uneven roof height initially caused acoustic problems. They were removed using a sound-reflecting ceiling with special gutters. The latter, in addition to their practical function, also served an aesthetic one, emphasizing the arches of the stage.

The top of the roof-sails is covered with white polished and creamy matte azulejo tiles (Portuguese tiles). It was specially made for the theater. Matte tiles predominate along the edges, while shiny ones in the center, which made it possible to create an iridescent effect. Over a million pieces of tile were required to cover a total area of ​​1.62 hectares. Mechanical method laying made it possible to achieve ideal evenness, unattainable with manual cladding.

Although the roof sails appear white from a distance, they change color depending on the lighting. As the architect said, the sun and clouds will make the roof come alive; you will never get tired of looking at it. He turned out to be right.

Sydney Opera House inside

The functional purpose of the main halls has undergone changes. The main hall, initially planned for opera and ballet performances, was decided to be repurposed as a concert hall. The opera hall itself became the second largest hall. Now the complex has 6 main halls.

• Concert Hall (Concert) for 2679 spectators. It houses one of the world's largest organs with 10 thousand pipes. The stage measures 17*11 m and can be expanded to include 85 front seats.
• Opera Theater (Opera) seats 1547 spectators. His tapestry curtain, called “Solar”, is the largest on the planet.
• Drama Theatre, with a capacity of 544 spectators, is used for theater and dance performances. His dark tapestry curtain is called “Moonlight”.
• Chamber events are held in the Playhouse hall with 398 seats. theatrical performances, lectures and film screenings. The hall's stage can be expanded in two stages, sacrificing 46 seats.
• The Studio hall, opened in 1999, can accommodate 364 lovers of avant-garde plays, contemporary music or corporate events.
• Jorn Utson's small hall is decorated with a wool tapestry in bright colors, woven according to his sketch.

The theater complex includes about a thousand different rooms. In addition to the halls, the building contains rehearsal rooms, theater platforms, a recording studio, shops, cafes, restaurants and numerous other facilities. It is not difficult for a person who does not know the layout of the theater to get lost in it.

There is an anecdotal case with a novice courier who delivered a parcel. He got confused in the premises and ended up on stage during the performance. Fortunately, one of the actors was not taken aback and said: “Finally, the package was delivered!” Viewers considered his remark part of the plot.

Another comical incident occurred during the performance of Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov. Her decorations included real chickens. One of them flew from the stage onto the musician’s head. After this, a net was installed over the orchestra pit.

Theater tickets

The Sydney Opera House, Bennelong point, Sydney NSW 2000, hosts approximately three thousand cultural events, in which millions of viewers become participants. You can get acquainted with the repertoire and order tickets on the official website.

300 thousand tourists annually visit the theater as part of organized excursions. They take place from 9am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday and last about an hour.

The cost of a regular excursion is 35 AUD. Evening excursions combined with a performance, as well as dinner in a restaurant or cafe, are also practiced. For example, an excursion and Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” will be well complemented by dinner at the Mozart bistro.

Sydney has always been famous not only for its rich flora and fauna, but also for its architectural buildings, most of which follow European trends. But among them one building stands out, which is completely different from all the others. The name of this building is Sydney Opera House.

Sydney Opera

The Sydney Opera House has attracted generations of tourists, being one of the city's most striking attractions. Literally everything about the opera house is interesting - from the jagged roof, the location on the water to the ascetic interior decoration. Many tourists are perplexed how in such a chic appearance The building can accommodate such modest ceilings and stairs. After all, it seems like there should be red carpets and golden statues here! In a word, the Sydney Opera House conquers many hearts and minds, but where did its history begin?!

The appearance of Eugene Goossens

On arrival British composer The problem of lack of space for concerts has emerged, and this is despite the excellent hearing of Australians. Eugene Goossens was amazed at the lack of interest on the part of the authorities in the construction of such a building. After all, it was almost impossible to show your talents in the city hall - the acoustics and the small hall got in the way. In addition, Goossens encountered a clear admiration for the ideas of Western architects, and this, in his opinion, spoiled the appearance of the entire city. After all, no one noticed the beauty of the peninsula, everyone rushed deeper into where skyscrapers arose.

Goossens has always been distinguished by his desire for exquisite beauty and even luxury. He had already seen the image of a palace in which he could, without hesitation, arrange big concerts, theatrical performances, delight the public with ballet and opera. After all, the main task is to educate, but how can such an important task be accomplished without a special room, one that could accommodate 4,000 spectators.

Captivated by the idea, Goossens and his friend, the architect Kurt Langer, set out to look for a location. It became Cape Bennelong Point. The place promised to be profitable because it was visited a large number of people constantly transferring from ferry to train. However, by that time the cape was decorated with Fort Macquarie, behind which there was a tram depot.

First of all, Goossens turned to Ashworth, a professor of architecture at the University of Sydney. As it turned out, he understood little of Goossens’s idea, but introduced him to the right person– John Cahill, who raised the entire Australian public. So construction opera in Sydney it was soon resolved.

Start of construction

The state agreed to the construction of the theater only on the condition that its financial assistance would not be required for anything. Therefore, in 1959 it was announced international competition. Cahill gradually lost his power, he had many ill-wishers, whose machinations managed to send Goossens home and slow down the construction of the Opera.

However, the competition has already attracted worldwide interest and hundreds of entries have been submitted again and again. In addition, Goossens has already selected a jury, which includes professional architects, outlined the plan and components of the Opera. In his opinion, the Sydney Opera House should include a small and large halls, as well as a hall for rehearsal and storing props. Visitors were sure to sample Sydney cuisine at the fine dining restaurant. This idea required a large area and caused concerns in the design. She should not have been faceless; on the contrary, she should have been the first to be noticed on the surface of the water.

Danish victory

Contestants struggled with the challenge of building on a small plot of land, and only one entry attracted all the judges, who unanimously decided that it was the winner. The Dane Jörn Wotzon placed the Big and Small Theaters close to each other, which solved the problem of walls and did not require layering several rooms, as other architects proposed. The roofs were fan-shaped and fixed to the podium, and the scenery was stored in the platform, and the problem of the backstage disappeared.

The architect himself great fame no different, he lived modestly with his family near Elsinore. Growing up by the sea, Jorn deeply absorbed his love for it. Perhaps this is why many people still notice the similarity of the theater’s shape with a ship that has set off on a long voyage.

Jorn's architectural talent developed in the Danish Royal Academy, then in Sweden. While the cities began to become more and more similar to each other, Jorn's value system was just taking shape. At the end educational institutions Jorn began to introduce the world to his talent, offering to embody the most various projects. While still a student, he and his friend developed a project for a concert hall for Copenhagen, for which they were awarded a gold medal. Watson's works struck no longer with majestic beauty, but with flights of imagination. It had no right angles or lines. On the contrary, the Dane tried to bring something original, at least the fan-shaped roofs of the Sydney Opera House. His work was hard to miss.

Sydney Opera House - contrasts

The facade of the Opera building evokes different fantasies: some say that it is a galleon, others see in it nine nuns, a white whale or a semblance of frozen music. The Sydney Opera really invites us to unravel its mystery, it invites us to fantasize and whatever we say will be true, because there is no single answer.
The interior of the building, on the contrary, does not fit in with such a loud name of the Opera. There is very little space here, there is almost nowhere to turn around and, alas, it is impossible to stage a large opera. There is only a small hall where only chamber performances can be staged, but if you slightly change its layout, it can easily turn into a disco hall. Just one detail in the form of a huge shiny ball on the ceiling is enough.

Sydney Opera House is business card and fans of this grandiose architectural project had to wait as long as 14 years from the start of construction to its grand opening Queen Elizabeth II of England on October 20, 1973.

The Sydney Opera House has withstood a lot of criticism: it had to be re-planned, adjustments made to the original sketches, but it still delights us with its view soaring above the water, as if inviting us to soar upward on its tightly stretched sails, soar upward, listening to classical and modern music, plunging into the foggy depths of art.

The Sydney Opera House is the main attraction of Australia. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has become one of Australia's most important attractions, which would be avoided. unforgivable mistake. Until 1958, on the site where the opera house now stands, there was a tram depot, and even before the depot there was a fort.

The theater took 14 years to build and cost Australia around $102 million. Initially it was planned to complete the project in 4 years, but due to difficulties with internal work In terms of finishing, the moment of opening was significantly delayed. For normal operation, the theater needs as much electrical energy as would be enough for a city with a population of 25 thousand people. For the construction of this unique complex in ocean floor Sydney Harbor was driven into piles to a depth of 25 meters. The roof covering consists of 1,056,006 pieces of tiles white and tiles with a matte cream shade.

The Sydney Opera House has very recognizable shapes, reminiscent of giant sails. But if many people recognize the theater immediately, seeing it from the outside in a photo or on television, then not everyone will be able to answer with confidence what kind of building it is, looking at its decorations from the inside. You can experience all the beauties of the theater with a tour that departs through its depths at 7 a.m., that is, at a time when the Sydney Opera House is still dozing and its walls are not disturbed by sonorous and loud performances.

This excursion is conducted only once a day. A huge variety of different performers from all over the world perform in the theater, among them the tradition arose of kissing the wall before a performance, but only the most worthy and great among them are awarded such an honor. For example, on the kissing wall you can find imprints of Janet Jackson's lips. But still, the excursion can only be an introductory stage into the world of the Sydney Opera House. In order to get maximum impressions and positive emotions, you need to attend at least 1 performance.

Another impressive performance venue in Sydney is Stadium Australia, which seats 83.5 thousand people.

Information for visitors:

Address: Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000.

How to get there: The opera house is located on Sydney Harbor at Bennelong Point. It will be easy for you to get here from anywhere in Sydney; the intersection of sea and land transport routes is nearby.

Working hours:

Every day (except Sunday) from 9:00 to late evening;

Sunday: from 10:00 to late evening (depending on the event).

Prices: depending on the event.

Sydney Opera House on a map of Sydney

The Sydney Opera House is the main attraction of Australia. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has become one of Australia's most important attractions, and it would be an unforgivable mistake not to visit. Until 1958, on the site where the opera house now stands, there was a tram depot, and even before the depot there was a fort.

- was created in 1973, the British director Eugene Goossens shared the idea. He arrived in Australia as a conductor, but was shocked to learn that there was no opera house in Australia. This was the beginning of the building, or rather the beginning of the dream of building an opera house. He searched areas where it was possible to build an opera house, and also convinced the deputies of this country about the importance of this building, after which it was decided to start a competition for the best project of an opera house. Unfortunately, however, Eugene Goosens' enemies set him up and he had to leave Australia without seeing the fruits of his dreams.

The competition continued and the owner of the most good project became the Danish architect Jorn Utzon. Jorn Utzon became an innovator in the history of construction, since before that time there were no such buildings on earth. On the one hand, it was promising, but on the other hand, it was a risky project, which was to be built over the sea, in the Bennelong Point area there had previously been a tram depot. This project amazed the whole world and never ceases to amaze.

Construction began in 1959, the construction was planned to take 4 years, but everything did not go as smoothly as we would like and lasted for 14 years. The problem was mainly due to the roof (superstructure). Many call them sails, some fins or shells. The roof of the opera house consists of 2194 previously manufactured sections. The entire roof is covered with about one million matte or cream colors. In principle, the roof came out very smoothly, but the internal acoustics of the hall suffered; later this problem was solved at considerable expense, since it was necessary to demolish the current foundation and pour a new, strong foundation. Some details also needed to be redone.

Unfortunately, expenses increased, and construction time slowed down, so that even the money that was intended for construction was spent on other objects. Because of this, Utzon had to leave Sydney, as the estimated amount was seven million Australian dollars, but in fact it took about one hundred million dollars. A few years later, the Australians again asked Utzon to begin construction, but he categorically refused this idea. Then new architect Hall completed the operatic miracle. Exact date opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973 with thunderous applause from numerous people and fireworks. Still, in 2003, Jorn Utzon, main architector Opera House received an award. The dramatic and difficult construction lived up to all these years of anticipation, it became a symbol of the Australian city. On June 28, 2007, the UNESCO list of world peace sites was expanded, and the beautiful Sydney Theater was added to this list.

The Sydney Opera House became a center of tourist accumulation, hotels, cafes, restaurants and the like began to be built. And if you look at the Opera House at night from the Harbor Bridge, it was an indescribable delight for tourists.

Entering the Sydney Opera House, which consists of quite a few halls, tourists first enter concert hall.

Concert hall with the most large audience in this theater. This hall houses the largest organ, which has 10 thousand organ pipes. One of the highest quality musical instruments on the ground.

The hall seats 2,679 spectators. The opera hall accommodates 1,507 spectators, as well as 70 musicians on stage. The Drama Hall seats only 544 spectators.

Also the Play House hall, which seats 398 spectators. And the very last hall, which was inaugurated relatively recently in 1999, was called “Studio”. However, despite the fact that it opened last, it accommodates only 364 spectators.

In the opera house, namely in each hall, different scenes of art were held, as well as opera, ballet, drama productions, dance scenes, miniature theater plays, as well as plays in the spirit of avant-garde.

Sydney Opera House has many advantages, namely:

• unusualness of the project;
• location;
• an ideal place for art lovers;

Many tourists come here to see interesting architecture, and also to see different art scenes.

Location: Australia, Sydney
Construction: 1959 - 1973
Architect: Jorn Utzon
Coordinates: 33°51"25.4"S 151°12"54.6"E

The whole world admires the building Sydney Opera House. Against the backdrop of skyscrapers and yachts, the theater looks like an elegant stone flower made of petal walls. Sometimes the domes of a building are compared to the doors of huge sea ​​shells or sails blown by the wind.

Sydney Opera House from above

The analogies are justified: this unusual structure with a sail-shaped roof is located on a rocky cape cutting into the bay. The Sydney Opera House is famous not only for its original roof structure, but also for its magnificent interiors, designed in a futuristic style called “Gothic.” space age". It is in the Sydney Opera House that the world's largest hangs theater curtain- each of its halves is equal to 93 sq.m. The Sydney Theater also boasts the world's largest organ, consisting of 10,500 pipes.

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the House of Muses in the life of Sydney. Under one roof there is a concert hall with 2,679 seats and an opera house with 1,547 seats. For dramatic and musical performances " small stage"- another hall designed for 544 spectators. There is also a cinema hall with 398 seats. The venue has a capacity of 210 people and is used for conferences. The theater complex, which is visited annually by about 2 million people, is complemented by a recording studio, library, mini-art halls, restaurants and cafes.

Sydney Opera House - a masterpiece of a Danish architect

Utzon The creation of the Sydney theater was inspired by the English conductor and composer Eugene Goossens, who was invited to Sydney in 1945 to record a concert cycle. The musician discovered that the inhabitants of the former British colony showed a keen interest in music, but there was no suitable hall for opera and ballet performances on the entire continent.

In those days, concerts took place in the city hall, whose architecture resembled a “wedding cake” in the style of the Second Empire, with poor acoustics and a hall for 2.5 thousand listeners. "The city needs new theater, which all of Australia would be proud of!” - said Sir Eugene Goossens.

In the competition for best project 880 specialists from 45 countries took part, but only 230 of them reached the finals. The winner was 38-year-old Dane Jorn Utzon. It is difficult to say what could have been built on the site of the building topped with “sail-domes” if the chairman of the selection committee had not been the American architect Erro Saarinen, who insisted that such an extraordinary project win the competition. According to Utzon himself, original idea came to him when he was peeling an orange and from the hemispherical orange peels collected the full sphere. The construction of the Sydney Opera House, which began in 1959, was delayed and instead of 4 planned years it lasted 14.

There was a catastrophic lack of money, and expenses were growing at an accelerated pace. It was necessary to attract investors, which entailed a revision of the original design of the building in favor of commercial space allocated for restaurants and cafes. “A little more, and the building will turn into a swollen square, into a stamped residential box!” - Utzon exclaimed indignantly. The total amount spent on the construction of the Sydney Opera House ($102 million) was 15 times higher than the design amount ($7 million). The Cabinet of Ministers, accused of “unjustifiably inflated expenses and excessively delayed construction,” resigned, and the architect himself, in despair, burned the drawings and resolutely left Sydney.

Opening of the Sydney Opera House

Work on the design of the facades and interior decoration was completed 7 years after Utzon’s resignation. In October 1973, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of England, the theater was inaugurated, and the first performance given on the stage of the Sydney House of Muses was Sergei Prokofiev's opera War and Peace. In 2003, Utzon received the prestigious Pritzker Prize for his theater project, and in 2007, the Sydney Opera House was declared a monument World Heritage. But, alas, Utzon’s resentment towards the Australian authorities turned out to be so great that he never returned to Sydney and died in 2008 without seeing the completed opera house in all its glory.