Page 80 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sydney

78  SY DNEY AREA B Y AREA

Exploring Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House covers almost 2 ha (4.5 acres),
and is the fourth building to stand on this prominent site.
Underneath the ten spectacular roofs of varying planes
and textures lies a complex maze of more than 1,000
rooms of all shapes and sizes. One of the world’s busiest
performing arts centres, the Opera House hosts more
than 2,000 events every year.

the orches tra pit accommodates
up to 70–80 musicians. It is
rumoured that Box C plays host
to a resident ghost.
Sydney Dance Company poster advertising
Concert Hall a production of Poppy
The rich concert acoustics aluminium panels in the ceiling
under the vaulted ceiling of control the temperature.
this venue are much admired. The Playhouse is used for
Sumptuous Australian wood small-cast plays and is also a
panelling and the 18 acoustic fully equipped cinema. The
rings above the stage clearly Sydney Theatre Company
A scene from La Bohème, being performed reflect back the sound. The (see p71) stages at least one
in the Joan Sutherland Theatre 10,500 pipe Grand Organ was performance here every year.
designed and built by Ronald The Studio hosts innovative,
Sharp in 1969–79. contemporary music and
Joan Sutherland Theatre
per formances in an intimate
The relatively compact size of space that seats just 350 people.
this venue makes for an intimate Drama Theatre, Studio
and Playhouse
ex perience, and stage designers
show off the theatre’s great The Drama Theatre was not Backstage
versatility for both opera and included in the original building Artists performing at the Opera
dance. The proscenium opening plan, so jackhammers were House have the use of five
is 12 m (39 ft) wide, and the stage brought in to hack it out of rehearsal studios, 60 dressing
extends back 25 m (82 ft), while the con crete. Refrigerated rooms and suites and a green
room, where visitors can enjoy a
breakfast at the end of the
Backstage Tour.
The scene-changing machin ery
works on very well-oiled
wheels – most crucial in the
Joan Sutherland Theatre where
there is regularly a change of
performance, with an average
of 14 productions being staged
John Olsen’s Salute to Five Bells (1973) in the Concert Hall foyer in repertoire each year.

1955 International design 1957 Utzon’s design wins Roof in mid-construction 2009 A State
competition announced and a lottery is established memorial service is
to finance the building held in the Concert
Hall following
Old tram shed at 1963 Building of 1973 Opera House officially
Bennelong Point roof shells begins opened by Queen Elizabeth II Utzon’s death
1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 2010
1959 Construction begins 1963 Utzon opens 2007 Opera House
Sydney office 1973 Prokofiev’s becomes the youngest
1948 Sir Eugene Goossens opera War and Peace building to achieve
lobbies government and 1966 Utzon resigns. Australian is the first public UNESCO World Heritage
Bennelong Point is chosen architects appointed to performance in status as a site of major
as opera house site complete interior design Opera House cultural significance

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