In the late 1950s the New South Wales (NSW) Government established an appeal fund to finance the construction of the Sydney Opera House, and conducted a competition for its design. The competition received a total of 233 entries from 32 countries and renowned Danish architect - Jorn Utzon’s imaginative design was choosen.

 

 

The Sydney Opera House is an expressionist modern design, it comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted ‘shells’ which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. These shell-structures are set upon a vast platform and are surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses.

 

 

The Sydney Opera House is nonetheless a fascinating building and heart of the city's cultural scene. It opened with a concert hall, an opera theatre, a drama theatre and a recital hall, as well as restaurants and bars and a fifth theatre was added within the structure in 1998.

 

It's a bar and restaurant Inside the Opera House that has
a beautiful overlook of Sydney and the Botanical Gardens.

The Concert Hall.

In an average year, the Sydney Opera House presents theatre, musicals, opera, contemporary dance, ballet, every form of music from symphony concerts to jazz as well as exhibitions and films. It averages around 3,000 events each year with audiences totaling up to two million. In addition, approximately 200,000 people take a guided tour of the complex each year.

 

The medium sized theatre in Sydney's Opera house

On June 28th 2007, Sydney Opera House was formally recognised as one of the most outstanding places on Earth with its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It was described by the UNESCO committee as a "daring and visionary experiment that has had an enduring influence on the emergent architecture of the late 20th-century. The building is a great artistic monument and an icon."