No trip to Sydney is complete without a visit the iconic opera house. We had visited the opera house on a previous trip to Sydney but the design and construction of the opera house are so unique that I had to take the tour again. For those who are interested in the engineering and the architecture of the opera house, did you know that the petal like parts of the flower like structure are actually different size segments of a sphere?
The idea of installing an opera house at the bay in Sydney was conceived in the late 1940s. A design competition was launched in 1955. The winner was a Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, who had not followed the rules of submission and had submitted a simple sketch to describe his idea. Construction began in 1959 without the full design having been completed. The original estimate was for completion in four years at a cost of AUS $7 million. After many challenges, it took 14 years to complete at a cost of AUS $102 million! The opera house was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, for which the architect wasn't invited and his name wasn't even mentioned. However, the Sydney Opera House Trust started a reconciliation process with the architect in 1999, which led to him being honored before his death in 2008. We attended a symphony conducted by the famous conductor Vladimir Ashkenazys on November 15.
The idea of installing an opera house at the bay in Sydney was conceived in the late 1940s. A design competition was launched in 1955. The winner was a Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, who had not followed the rules of submission and had submitted a simple sketch to describe his idea. Construction began in 1959 without the full design having been completed. The original estimate was for completion in four years at a cost of AUS $7 million. After many challenges, it took 14 years to complete at a cost of AUS $102 million! The opera house was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973, for which the architect wasn't invited and his name wasn't even mentioned. However, the Sydney Opera House Trust started a reconciliation process with the architect in 1999, which led to him being honored before his death in 2008. We attended a symphony conducted by the famous conductor Vladimir Ashkenazys on November 15.
Did you know that the Sydney Harbor Bridge is not only a famous landmark but also a challenge to those not faint of heart? Can you see the people who have reached the top of the bridge in the photographs below?
What we call "downtown" in America is called CBD (Central Business District) in most parts of the world. One end of Sydney's CBD is called Circular Quay (pronounced kay). Circular Quay is where all the ferries depart to various harbors of Sydney, multitude of bus routes and commuter trains begin at this point, and Sydeny Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge are in the vicinity.
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