Discover the Marvel of Australia's Eiffel Tower
Sydney Opera House - The Sights and Sounds Down Under
Oct 13, 2008
Despite the fact that it was completed just over 30 years ago, and was designed by a Dane, the Sydney Opera House has come to represent Australia, and is as much of an icon for the country as the Eiffel tower is for France. This amazing architectural feat was well beyond its time, and it took many years, and many drafts, to actually see the structure to completion. The Opera House, which is situated on Bennelong Point, juts out into the Sydney Harbor, near the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It is home to not only Opera Australia, but the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony. In addition to performances put on by these companies, many touring ballet, theatre, and musical productions perform in one of the Opera House’s five halls.
Music, Dancing and Theatre
The Sydney Symphony stakes claims on the Concert Hall, which is the largest of the performance arenas. It is home to the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ, which is the largest mechanical tracker action organ in the world. It boasts over 10,000 pipes. This venue is commonly chosen by other concert presenters as well. Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet share the Opera Theatre, which contains 1,547 seats. The Drama Theatre is used by the Sydney Theatre Company as well as many other dance and theatrical performers. The two smaller stages are the Playhouse, which is an end-stage theatre, and the Studio, a flexible space that can hold up to 400 people.
The Utzon Room and the Forecourt are also used for performances and other events. The Utzon room is the only interior space designed by Jørn Utzon, the Danish architect who designed the entire structure. The Forecourt is an open air venue that can be configured in a number of ways to facilitate different size audiences.
The Inside Track
Guided tours of the Opera House are available; they take you through the halls as well as the some of the over 1000 rooms that the facility contains. Visitors have the opportunity to check out the two main performance halls, situated under the largest vaulted shells that the Opera House is so famous for, as well as dine at the restaurant located within its walls. The platform that surrounds the halls is a terrace of sorts, and is used as a pedestrian concourse. Seeing the Sydney Opera House from the ferry is an amazing sight as the Sydney skyline, Bridge and Opera House included, serves as a backdrop against the crystal blue water of the harbor.
