Australia’s Sydney Opera House

Think of Australia and you’ll probably picture the stately Sydney Opera House. Built in March of 1959, it proudly stands in Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour. The Opera House is one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world. Most importantly, it houses multiple performance venues inside.

These venues include the Concert Hall- home of the Sydney Symphony, Drama Theater- home for world-acclaimed Sydney Theater Company, the Forecourt- an open-air venue for different kinds of performances, and Opera Theater- a proscenium theater which is home to Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet among others. Each year, 1.2 million people buy tickets for its 1500 shows and performances.

Aside from watching performances, you can also take a guided tour of the Opera House. You’ll be surprised to discover more facilities inside this building. For instance, cafes, studios, restaurants and bars fill every corner of this center. And would you believe, you can even shop inside Opera House as it also houses retail outlets? If you’re after souvenirs and knick knacks from this infamous landmark, you’ll find it at these during your tour.

But being one of the most famous performing arts center in the world is not enough. Opera House was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site in June of 2007. And to date, it is the most recent constructed world heritage yet. Its contemporaries are the ancient Stonehenge, Giza Necropolis and more.

Today, the massive Opera House may enjoy an iconic status and worldwide fame but constructing it was far from easy. The scheming of this cultural landmark idea took years to form commencing in the late 1940s. In 1954, it finally gained support from NSW State Conservatorium of Music. It was decided to be built in Bennelong Point, as opposed to another location which is the Wynward Railway Station.

By September 1955, a design contest was opened internationally. There were 233 entries from 32 different countries. In 1957, Danish architect Jørn Utzon emerged as the winner. He bagged £5000 and an eminent place in architectural history.

In 1959, the official construction began. It was built in three stages; Stage I being from 1959 to 1963, Stage II 1963 to 1967, and Stage III from 1967 to 1973. After more than a decade, Opera House was completed with an estimated cost of $102 million. Based on the original estimate, construction was ten years late and over-budget by fourteen folds.

But even with the long years of wait and massive over-budget, the Opera House was worth the wait. So marvel at this world class landmark and enjoy Australia’s heritage. Purchase tickets for the Opera House now.