Sydney Opera House Architecture | Design, Construction & Controversies

Sydney Opera House - An Engineering Marvel

The Sydney Opera House is a globally renowned architectural gem. Its iconic design was the result of an international competition won by Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. Its stunning design has earned the Sydney Opera House international recognition as one of the most significant architectural masterpieces of the 20th century. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007.

Read on to discover more about how this architectural marvel came to be.

Construction of Sydney Opera House

The construction of the Opera House was completed in 3 different stages, with the podium being built first, followed by the outer shells, and then finally the interiors. When the first stage of construction began, Utzon's design was still incomplete, leading to unresolved structural issues. The columns of the podium were unable to support the roof and they had to be reconstructed during Phase II. 

From 1957 to 1963, computers were used to determine the structural stability of the shells to understand the complex forces that act on them. The roof design was finalised after wind tunnel testing at the University of Southampton and the National Physical Laboratory. The Hornibrook group manufactured 4000 roof panels and 2400 ribs, which were later pieced together to form the complex contours of the roof. 

After Utzon's resignation towards the end of Phase II, significant changes were brought to his interior designs when the acoustic advisor, Lothar Cremer, complained about the acoustics. Phase III was then taken over by Peter Hall, who then brought in a few changes to Utzon's design during the construction of the interiors.

Changes to Utzon's Designs

• In the original design, many details were left undefined and the brief didn't detail how the interior space was to be used in the Opera House. 
• The biggest hall was originally designed as a multipurpose hall but was later deemed solely as the Concert Hall. The original machinery was discarded and a new layout was designed. 
• The smaller hall was named the John Sutherland Theatre and is used for smaller productions. 
• The interiors of both of the bigger halls were changed completely after the inputs of Lothar Cremer, who suggested changes for better acoustics. 
• A theatre, a cinema, and a library were added to the design which were then converted to live drama theatres and another smaller theatre. 
• Utzon's design didn't include glass walls, he wanted to use plywood mullions instead. When the decision was made to use glass instead, the design had to be changed.