Backstage at the Sydney Opera House
With only a day to explore Sydney, I wanted to experience some of Australia’s iconic sites, so I began the morning with a walk around the harbour towards one of the most recognisable buildings in the world: The Sydney Opera House.
Legendary tales of the architects and artists who built the Opera House, some comedies and some dramas, are still told within its sail-shaped walls. Most notable, of course, is Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who designed the building after an international architecture competition picked his as the winning concept in 1957. Before he was chosen as the lead architect on the Sydney Opera House project, Utzon had been a relatively unknown figure on the European architecture scene.
Our guide ushered us into the grand Concert Hall as a lone trumpet player rehearsed for a show. The classical music reverberated in the background while our guide whispered about the history of the building.
One of the more silly (but true!) pieces of gossip she shared was how the chevron shape was chosen for the building’s exterior tiles. Utzon had seen this shape printed on a woman’s swimsuit and said he liked the way it complemented her curves. Inspiration is everywhere.
