The Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is an edifice which transcends the zeitgeist of the era it was conceived as an idea, then built and all those decades which have followed. Designed by architect Jern Utzon and engineered by Ove Arap, it began construction in 1959, opening its doors to the public in 1973. An ambitious project and arduous period of engineering and construction ensured the swooping curves which umbrella the footprint of the building would be possible. Parametric design tools were a thing of the distant future, the first time a computer was used to calculate numbers for building construction, was for this very icon. It is no wonder it has held its arches up high around the world for its innovation and uniqueness, pushing the boundaries of both design and engineering.
What is even more important perhaps, is its ability to provide at every angle of its stature, a spectacular view. Its aesthetic precision, relationship to its context both social and environmental, places a relevant icon on the world map that speaks truly of what Sydney has to offer to its people and visitors.
As an Australian, I am proud that architecture such as this represents one of the most important cities we operate. In my travels to Sydney, regardless of how many times in a single day I would lay my eyes upon this grand edifice, I continue to be beguiled. The flux movements of sail ships and fairies treading the blue crisp water, rippling its mirrored reflection, is only romanticised further by the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Mimicking the monument in importance of time and place while sitting alongside the Opera House itself as a backdrop or frame, depending on your location, together they possess a bewitching magic over the day.
Perched above the water on a slice of land in a cosmopolitan city, the Sydney Opera House could be likened to a pendant that dangles delicately between descending collar bones. That sweet spot before the rise of the breast or perhaps between the pectoral, where shades of light play over smooth skin. Yes, I think the chest, near to the heart is the zone that scaling down this architectural beating heart of Sydney would do it justice.
Already inspired by its feat of construction in a time where swooping curves were inconceivable let alone constructable, its beauty in general is flabbergasting. I find myself fascinated by the fact that a simple orange peel, was the epiphany moment that solved a problem so grand and made possible an edifice so remarkable.
