Today I'm going to tell you about one of my most memorable visits of my trip to Oceania. From New Zealand, I traveled to Sydney to spend a week there. A lively, sunny and pleasant city that I particularly appreciated. During this stay in Sydney, I could not miss the number 1 attraction of the city: Sydney Opera.
This article will therefore deal with this unique place, you will find all the advice for visit the Sydney Opera House.
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> The turbulent history of the Sydney Opera House
> Visit the Sydney Opera House in French: Times, prices and booking
> Sydney Opera House visit process
> All activities around the Sydney Opera House
> The best photo spots of the Sydney Opera House
> My opinion on visiting the Sydney Opera House Related article:
>Visit Sydney
The turbulent history of the Sydney Opera House
> The project
It all started at the end of the 1940s. At that time, theatrical and musical performances took place in Sydney Town Hall. Eugène Goossens, director of the New South Wales State Conservatory of Music decided at that time that this place had become far too small to be able to accommodate the many performances that took place there. He then set out to convince the then Premier of New South Wales, Joseph Cahill, to build an opera house.
Source: Sydney Opera House
It was then that Joseph Cahill decided to launch a competition among architects around the world in order to collect as many projects as possible for this new opera house, which should be an atypical building, recognizable by all. The project of Sydney Opera is launched.
It was in 1955 that the competition ended with the receipt of 233 projects. You will learn by visiting the Opera that the project finally selected, the project of the architect Danois Jorn Utzon was not initially part of this famous list. It was not until a little later that the project was brought to him.
It is therefore in 1957 that the winner is designated, the Danish architect is then an illustrious unknown outside his country.
> First part of the construction
The construction of the Sydney Opera House therefore began in 1958 under the direction of this young 38-year-old Dane, Jorn Utzon. The project was originally supposed to last 3 years and cost $7 million.
Despite some delays, the first stage of construction, the base, ended in 1961 (even if the pillars were redone until 1963 to be able to support the roof). These delays have various origins, in particular problems related to the weather but also to a lack of preparation on the side of the architect. Even if these problems are still minor, they will very quickly become much more problematic.
> Second part of the construction
Indeed Jorn Utzon is faced with problems in the design of the roof. No less than 12 roof construction projects are studied in order to find the most economical but also the most effective solution. To solve this problem the architect uses, for one of the first times in this case, the computer. The Dane then had the idea of building all the sections of the roof from the same sphere. This idea will solve the problem that Utzon and his architects had been facing for more than 6 years now!
Source : Sydney Opera House
In 1962 it was still estimated that the project would be finished in 1964. As the construction of the roof progressed, in 1965, the Danish architect, under political pressure for several years, decided to leave the project. The delays as well as the consequent overrun of the budget got the better of the Danish architect. A budget overrun which, in 1966, amounted to 22,9 million dollars, far from 7 million initially planned but you will see, still very far from the final cost of the Sydney Opera House.
> Third part of the construction
In 1966, Jorn Utzon was replaced by a group of local architects: DS Littlemore, Lionel Todd as well as Peter Hall who was in charge of the interior decoration. The architects then discovered that the Opera, as it had been imagined, could not accommodate the desired number of seats in its largest room and that, in good condition, the acoustics of the room would be disastrous. The interior of the Sydney Opera House was then completely redesigned. The rooms were modified to see the creation of a concert hall, a theater and even a cinema and a library. These last two rooms were subsequently transformed into theaters.
> With
The construction of the Sydney Opera House ended in 1973 after 15 years of construction. Remember that the initial project was to see the light of day in 3 years and cost 7 million dollars. The cost of the project will ultimately be more than $102 million.
It was therefore on October 20, 1973 that the Sydney Opera House was inaugurated in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. The architect behind the project, Utzon, will not be invited to the inauguration. At the end of the 90s, new works were undertaken to rehabilitate and modernize the rooms. Utzon is then called and put to use. The Danish architect accepts but decides to work remotely from the Opera, in Denmark. In 2004 the first refurbished room opened its doors again and was called “The Utzon Room”. The architect is several times invited to come visit the Opera, but will refuse to do so until his death in 2008.
Visit the Sydney Opera House in French: Times, prices and booking
After telling you about the history of the Sydney Opera House, let's now look at the visit. Visit the Sydney Opera House is, of course, a must for a stay in Sydney. To visit the Sydney Opera House, you have several choices:
- Sydney Opera House Guided Tour:
Sydney Opera House guided tours run daily from 9am to 17pm and depart at regular time intervals. Every 15 minutes or 30 minutes. However these visits are in ENGLISH.
There are guided tours of the Sydney Opera House in French Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11:30 a.m. The number of visits in French being limited, be sure to book your visit in advance.
The price of a visit to the Sydney Opera House is 40 Australian dollars or around 25€.
The visit to the Opera lasts approximately 1 hour. Guided tour of the Sydney Opera House - There are also tickets including the guided tour of the Opera and a meal at the Opera Bar. Sydney Opera House Guided Tour + Dinner
- Muscle awakening at the Sydney Opera House:
Between March and May, 4 times a week, at 7am, muscle awakening or yoga circuits take place on the steps of the Opera.
Getting to the Sydney Opera House:
The Sydney Opera House is located at Bennelong Point right next to Circular quay, where boats depart for all of Sydney Bay.
To reach the Opera by metro, you can take lines T1, T2, T3 and T8 and get off at the Circular Quai stop.
See a performance and visit the Sydney Opera House
It is, of course, possible to attend a performance at the Sydney Opera House. The schedule of events can be found on the official Sydney Opera House website.
A symphony orchestra regularly performs at the Opera and you can combine the visit with one of the performances.
Sydney Opera House Tour Schedule
Once your visit has been booked, meet at the scheduled time in the lobby (in the basement) of the Sydney Opera House.
The visit begins outside the Opera. Throughout the visit, approximately 300 steps will be climbed. A certain physical form is recommended.
Once the first explanations have been given, the visit continues inside the Opera, in the corridors and then in different rooms. The visit to the largest hall of the Opera is simply stunning. 2600 seats as well as the largest mechanical organ in the world with over 10 pipes. Many explanations on the construction of these rooms are given to us in particular on the incredible acoustics which reside in these rooms.
The visit continues outside, on the roof of the Opera where you can touch this famous roof famous throughout the world with your own hands.
All activities around the Sydney Opera House
In order to be able to make the most of this emblematic monument, you can opt for several activities.
First of all a boat trip through Sydney bay is a good experience to learn more about Sydney and its Opera House. This will offer you different points of view on the Opera.
A helicopter flight over the bay is also a unique experience which will also offer you surprising views of theSydney opera and its surroundings.
Sydney Opera House's Best Photo Spots
Impossible to return from a visit to Sydney without some magnificent shots of the Opera. Here is a paragraph that will tell you more about the best Sydney Opera House photo spots.
- At the foot of the Opera:
Indeed, if you choose to visit the Sydney Opera House, then you will discover the Opera very close and will be able to enjoy very nice views, as from the roof. Take a tour of the Opera House on Bennelong Point to take it in from all angles. - From the Botanical Garden:
One of the most beautiful views is undoubtedly from the botanical garden. Meet at the very end, at “Mrs Macquaries Point” to discover the Opera a few hundred meters from you. In the evening the show is amazing and beautiful, the sun will set behind the Opera from this point. Arrive early before sunset as the place is packed.
- From the Harbor Bridge:
To get to the other side of the bay, you will have no choice but to cross Sydney's famous Harbor Bridge. Even if it is quite possible to cross it by bus or even by tram, cross it at least once on foot. The crossing is free and will offer you a spectacular and elevated view of the Sydney Opera House. It is even possible, for a few dollars, to climb to the top of one of the pillars of the bridge to gain even more height.
- From Jeffreys St:
Let's stay on the other side of the bay to reach Jeffreys St, a small pedestrian street that runs along the bay and is located exactly opposite the Opera House. The view of the bridge and the Sydney Opera House is sublime. Ideal for photos of the illuminated Opera.
My opinion on visiting the Sydney Opera House
Visiting the Sydney Opera House is undoubtedly a must on any Sydney tour. An emblematic monument of Australia, the visit to the Opera seems to me to be one of the unmissable things in the city. The visit, which lasts one hour and takes place in French, teaches you a lot about the Opera and its construction. Even if I didn't have the chance to attend a performance, this guided tour of the Opera is really a good experience that I highly recommend.
