Description of the attraction
The Sydney Opera House can, without exaggeration, be called one of the most recognizable buildings in the world - who among us has not seen these sails soaring into the sky, or orange slices growing right out of the waters of Sydney harbor? Opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain herself, today this musical theater is a true symbol of Australia. It is interesting that once on this place on Bennelong Point there were first a fort, and then a tram depot, until in 1958 it was decided to build a theater.
Construction history
The creator of this outstanding building of modern architecture was the Danish Jorn Utzon, who received the highest award in the world of architecture for his project - the Pritzker Prize. Initially, it was assumed that the construction of the theater will take about 4 years and will cost the Australian government 7 million Australian dollars. However, due to the interior decoration of the premises, it dragged on for as much as 14 years! Accordingly, the construction estimate has also increased - up to 102 million Australian dollars.
General information about the Sydney Opera House
The building of the Sydney Opera House covers an area of 2.2 hectares. Its maximum height is 185 meters, width is 120 meters. The famous theater roof consists of 2,194 sections and weighs over 27 tons! All this seemingly airy structure is held by steel cables with a total length of 350 km. On top of the "shells" of the roof are covered with a million tiles of white and matte cream colors, which create different color schemes under different lighting conditions.
There are 4 scenes inside the building. The Main Concert Hall can accommodate 2,500 people at a time, and the Opera Hall can accommodate 1,500 people. The other two halls are used for theatrical drama performances. In addition, the building houses a cinema and two restaurants.
For almost 40 years of operation, the Sydney Opera House has been visited by more than 40 million people, which is several times more than the population of the whole of Australia. In 2007, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On a note
- Location: Bennelong Point, Sydney
- Official Website:
- Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 9: 00-19.30, Sunday 10: 00-18: 00.
- Tickets: Entry to the theater is free during opening hours.
