Opera House, Sydney

The Opera House of Sydney is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings with the most performing art venue in the world.

The Opera House of Sydney is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings with the most performing art venue in the world.

In 2007, it has been included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This house is designed by Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect. It is situated on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, with parkland to its south and close to the equally famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, the building and its surroundings form an iconic Australian image.

The Opera House has been the home of Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony. It is administered by the Opera House Trust, under the New South Wales Ministry of the Arts. In September, 2007, APEC Australia 2007 will be held in the Sydney Opera House and in this meet, the political leaders of the 21 member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation will participate.

The Opera House covers 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) of land. It is 183 metres (605 feet) long and about 120 metres (388 feet) wide at its widest point. It is supported on 580 concrete piers sunk up to 25 metres below sea level. The roofs of the House are covered with 1.056 million glossy white and matte cream Swedish-made tiles.

The Concert Hall and the Opera Theatre are situated in the two largest groups of shells, and the other theatres are located on the sides of the shell groupings. The form of the shells is chosen to reflect the internal height requirements, rising from the low entrance spaces, over the seating areas and up to the high stage towers.

A much smaller group of shells set to one side of the Monumental steps and it houses the Bennelong Restaurant. The building's interior is composed of pink granite quarried in Tarana and wood and brush box plywood supplied from northern New South Wales.

There are mainly five theatres for the performance facilities. They are

The Concert Hall, with 2,679 seats, contains the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world with over 10,000 pipes
The Opera Theatre, with 1,547 seats, is the main performance space for Opera Australia and is also used by the Australian Ballet Company
The Drama Theatre, with 544 seats
The Playhouse, with 398 seats
The Studio Theatre, with 364 seats

Apart from theatrical productions, the venues at the Sydney Opera House are also used for functions, weddings, parties, and conferences.

Location

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Historical Importance

The planning for the Sydney Opera House began in the late 1940s when Eugene Goossens, the Director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, lobbied for a suitable venue for large theatrical productions. The formal construction of the Opera House began in March, 1959.

The project was built in three stages. Stage I (1959–1963) consisted of building the upper podium. Stage II (1963–1967) saw the construction of the outer shells and the Stage III consisted of the interior design and construction. The Opera House was formally inaugurated by the Queen Elizabeth II, on October 20, 1973 and the celebrations were highlighted by the fireworks and the performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

Nearby Attractions

Domain
The area behind Parliament House and Hyde Park Barracks is a park called The Domain. It is a largely recreational area.

St Mary's Cathedral
It is one of the world's largest cathedrals.

Australian Museum
The Australian Museum is one of the best six natural history museums in the world and has the largest and oldest collections of its type in Australia.

Art Gallery of NSW
It is a famous and permanent exhibition of arts.
 
Royal Botanic Gardens
This Garden has a wonderful collection of plants and a great place for a stroll or picnic.

Taronga Park Zoo
The zoo has a vast array of exotic and local animals, reptiles and birds in a spectacular setting.

Hyde Park
It is the biggest patch of green in the city with main attractions as the Archibald fountain at the Queens Square end and the Anzac Memorial at the Liverpool Street end.

Macquarie Street
This street houses the State Library of New South Wales, the Parliament House, the Sydney Hospital, the Old Mint, the Hyde Park Barracks and the Land Title’s Office.

Sydney Mint Museum
The Sydney Mint Museum is another delightful building with interesting exhibits.

Town Hall Precinct
It has the Sydney Town Hall (1884), the St Andrews Cathedral (Anglican), and the Queen Victoria Building.

Queen Victoria Building
It is centre piece of the Precinct and topped with three large copper-clad domes, which was built as a produce market, reflecting the wealth of the city.

Circular Quay
It is both a gateway to the city and the harbour.

Sydney Entertainment Centre
It is a major venue for concerts from Rock to Russian dances.

Sydney Fish Market
 It is a really great place to enjoy some quality local seafood at very reasonable prices.

Darling Harbour
It has the Sydney's convention and exhibition centres apart from several major tourist attractions, shops, restaurants and cafes.

Sydney Aquarium
It is regarded as one of the world's best aquariums and has more than 150 metres of clear 'tunnels' that pass through the underwater exhibits.

Imax Theatre
It is the world's biggest movie screen eight storeys high and shows spectacular nature films.

Chinese Garden
It is a large, walled enclave with Chinese pavilions, large ponds full of ornamental carp, trees and stone statues.

Powerhouse Museum
It is the Australia's largest museum devoted to science, aviation and the decorative arts.

Australian National Maritime Museum
It covers Australian maritime history from the time of sail and includes several floating exhibits moored in the bay, including the naval frigate Vampire.

State Library
It is more than a library with fine exhibitions and collections of early Australians including Captain Bligh's log from the Bounty.

AMP Tower
It is the tallest structure in Sydney.

Sydney Harbour Bridge
It was built in eight years and opened in March 1932. Linking the city with North Sydney, it carries eight lanes of road traffic and two railway tracks which form part of the

city's rail suburban network.

Star City
It is the only legal casino in Sydney and is open 24 hours a day, every day.

Rocks
It has the biggest concentration of historic buildings in Sydney.

Garrison Church
Located near the Argyle Cut, this Church was consecrated in 1844. 

Sydney Observatory
It offers one of the best views of Sydney. It has an optical astronomical telescope which was once a key to the scientific study of astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere.

Double Bay
It has many of Sydney's exclusive fashion boutiques for men and women and real antique and art shops.

Bondi Beach
This beach has been featured on more postcards and in more television travel shows and films than any other beach in Australia.

How to Reach

By Air: Sydney Airport.
By Rail: Train: Circular Quay Station.
By Road: Bus: Public services