The Sydney Opera House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. There are approximately 3,000 events held each year at the Sydney Opera House with more than two million audience members in total. The glass of the Sydney Opera House was custom made for the project in France. The roof of the Sydney Opera House is covered with more than one million tiles. The Sydney Opera House is 185 meters long and 120 meters wide, and it rises 67 meters high, equivalent to a building 22 stories high. The performance venues in the Sydney Opera House include the Concert Hall, the Joan Sutherland Theatre, the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse, the Studio, the Utzon Room, the Outdoor Forecourt, and the Recording Studio. The building's construction was mostly paid for by a state lottery. It had originally been estimated at $7 million. The construction of the Sydney Opera House cost $102 million. Stage III saw the interior design and construction. Stage II saw the construction of the outer shells. Stage I saw the building of the upper podium. Construction was completed in three stages.

The building's footprint is 1.75 hectares, while the entire property sits on 5.798 hectares of land.Ĭonstruction of the Sydney Opera House began in 1959. The Sydney Opera House was built on Bennelong Point, originally a fort. A design competition was launched in 1955 and in 1957 Jørn Utzon's design was chosen as the winner.įor his winning design, Jørn Utzon won 5000£. In 1954 Eugene Goosens finally had the support of NSW's Premier for the start to the project. In addition to the multiple performance venues of the Sydney Opera House there are also restaurants, cafes, a recording studio, and stores for visitors to enjoy.Īlthough the Sydney Opera House opened officially in 1973, its planning began in the late 1940s when the Director of NSW State Conservatorium of Music, Eugene Goosens, began to lobby for a large theatre. The Sydney Opera House is a collection of venues within a group of shell-shaped buildings. The architect responsible for designing the Sydney Opera House was Jørn Utzon, the winner of a 1955 design competition.

The formal opening was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, who was the guest of honor at the event. The Sydney Opera House is an art center located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that opened on October 20 th, 1973.

Fun facts about the sydney opera house